Further complications
by MewShiny
Summary: A time travel story. Forget everything that's happened so far, go back to the beginning, back to that day at tropical land... something happens that didn't happen the first time around, Shinichi receives a mysterious message that may just change the entire course of events
1. prolouge

**I never intended for him to but Shinji wanted to make a come back... so this is kinda the aftermath of 'It became complicated' thus the title 'further complications', but it shouldn't be necessary to read 'it became complicated' to understand this story because it will be happening in a different parallel timeline... So really they aren't related at all even if there is a connection.  
**

** This is a different type of time travel story than before, don't expect the same things to happen if you read the other. This one will probably be a lot more serious, and a little bit more thought out.  
**

**Naturally I don't own Conan (or anyone else for that matter) so without further or do... let the complications begin!**

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**ProLogue: brEAking free of the Shadow lifE  
**

The house was empty, the man had known that it would be, but the silence still unnerved him as though the trail of death that had been following him for far too long would catch up to him if he stayed alone much longer. Even so he sat quietly in what used to be his bed room, reading a book he'd already read years before as he waited for one of his few remaining allies to come find him.

In his paranoia he glanced up at the windows and door nearly every five seconds, but after a minute had passed he determined that even that interval of time left him far too vulnerable so he put the book down and proceeded to glance back and forth between the window and door without pausing except to blink. Eventually however he decided it was to much effort and gave up on the task completely, returning his attention to the book but still listening so he'd know if anyone approached.

After an hour had passed he finally heard soft footsteps approaching the front door. He placed a bookmark in the book then laughed quietly to himself for doing so knowing that if the person that had come was an enemy then he'd likely not be alive to finish the book and if the person was an ally then he'd probably never return anyway.

The footsteps stopped outside the room he was in and there was a wary, near silent knock on the door.

'An enemy wouldn't have knocked', The man thought, letting out a hushed sigh of relief as he opened the door to find a familiar woman. He took a quick glance at the window to be sure that no one had appeared when he'd let his guard down earlier, satisfied that he and his ally were indeed either alone or outmatched he finally spoke.

His voice came out sounding harsh but hesitant, it was the voice of a person that had known suffering beyond his years, "You... you aren't supposed to be here."

The woman responded in a similar tone, but coming from her it sounded bitter and cold, "There was a change of plans."

"Wha-" The man was taken aback, he had thought the plan had been fool-proof, there should have been no way for their actions to have been predicted by the enemy... and yet he wasn't truly surprised, "... how bad was it?"

The woman looked away, not wanting to see the man's concerned expression. She managed to reply, her tone was more sorrowful than before, "Nearly everyone died... we didn't stand a chance..."

He cursed himself for not having been there to stop whatever had gone wrong, blaming himself, "... If only I had-"

"If you had been there it may have turned out worse, especially with how things always are when you're around..." The woman interrupted, adding a laugh as she said the last part in hopes of getting rid of some of the tension in the atmosphere. When he didn't respond to the ill-humored joke she continued, "Besides you know as well as I do that we can't risk those people discovering you."

"Yes, yes, I'm a person whose existence must stay shrouded in darkness, never to step foot into the light while those I'm fighting against still exist as well... perhaps I'll even remain in the shadows even after they're gone, I've gone to far to turn back as it is," The man said as he looked at the woman, his eyes held a sorry tint in their gaze as he continued, "but being in the shadows as I am, even I'm starting to get tired of all this indirect conflict. The pain of knowing that there are others fighting on my behalf while I'm left alone in my cowardice is unbearable."

The woman returned his gaze, her expression clearly showing that she didn't like how he was acting, "If either of us is a coward it's me. I'm well aware that if you had a choice you would be out there foolishly fighting on your own, it's my cowardice that keeps you in the shadows."

"The fact that I haven't tried to leave this shadow-life after all this time is proof that I've become a coward."

"It's proof you've developed common sense," The woman remarked, sounding cold and sarcastic.

At that the man let out a laugh, "I've had common sense the whole time, I'd have probably died by now if I didn't."

"No, what you had before was _un_common sense, but I'm sure that's what kept you alive back then," She smiled for a moment before returning to her comfortable cold facade.

"Yeah, things were definitely different back then..." He showed a thin smile, "These days I never know what we'll be doing next, after today's failure... if it's really how you say it was then it'll be a lot more risky from now on, I might just have to start taking steps out of the shadows."

The woman grinned more than the man had seen in years as she said, "It didn't go well, but it wasn't a failure."

"Y-you actually succeeded then?"

"Yeah," The woman said, handing the man what appeared to be a normal cellphone.

The man looked at the phone quizzically as though he'd been expecting something more, after a moment of inspection he asked, "And you're sure that this will work?"

"I'm not certain, no, but it should," She replied, her gaze held a strong confidence that she hadn't realized she possessed, "It's not exactly the most orthodox application of the black hole theory but it's the best shot we have."

"Alright, I'll have to trust you on this one," He said as he habitually glanced at the window before turning to head for the door.

"Where are you going?."

"Anywhere but here," He replied, shutting the door behind him silently, adding a nearly inaudible,"To many memories that I'd rather not replay."

She really wasn't sure what to say to that so she stayed silent.

She could hear a faint whisper, nearly drowned out by the almost non-existent sounds of his footsteps, "Sayonara."

The woman started to say something but stopped herself, sensing that it was already too late. She opened the door and her suspicions were confirmed when there was no sign of the man on the other side, he'd completely disappeared. Quietly she laughed to herself.

"That's so like him... to not even give me the chance to say 'goodbye'..."

With the knowledge that he was gone, she was flooded by an intense feeling that she would never see him again. However this didn't worry her at all, the opposite in fact, she was glad; because if she never saw him again that would mean their goal had been achieved.


	2. chapter 1

**Here's where we arrive back at the beginning, with a few changes... I'm sure most of you will understand what's going on right away. Sorry this chapter is so short, but the next one is longer... **

**I hope you guys like it, please review to let me know.**

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**chapter 1. a Deviation frOm the kNown Truth**

That day everything had been normal up until I solved the case that happened on the mystery coaster, by my saying that I'm sure you understand that something strange happened after I solved that case.

It was almost immediately after the case was solved that I received a strange text message with timing so perfect it seemed planned - I later learned that it was, but that's hardly of any consequence at this point. The message was short, it was made up of only one unexplained line typed in English and what appeared to be a signature:

_I'm sorry. _

_-K.S. & E.C._

I'll admit I was curious, I had no Idea who the sender was and the only clue was the mysterious initials -at least I assumed they were initials, but it could have been a code or something completely different entirely- after a random apology.

Who sent this? What are they apologizing for?I couldn't help but wonder.

I didn't bother asking Ran if she knew anyone with those initials, even if she did there would be no guarantee that anyone she thought of was the actual sender... it could be a practical joke for all I knew. Not that I really had much of a chance to ask her anyway, it was only moments after reading the message that something moving in the shadows caught my eyes.

Eh? That's one of the guys from the roller coaster. What's he up to?

The fact that he was running to such a remote area spiked my curiosity so I decided to follow, I told Ran, "I'll catch up with you later Ran, just go on without me."

It seemed like she was about to say something or try to stop me but for some reason she didn't, hesitantly allowing me to run off.

I turned back while still running for only an instant and saw a strangely distressed look on her face, I tried to reassure her, "Don't worry, I'll call when I get back home."

I'm still not sure exactly why she looked distressed, but she was right. I shouldn't have gone. If I had known what was about to happen, I wouldn't have gone. If there was anyway I could have warned myself I would have. However that would be impossible, and even if it wasn't it would be selfish of me to try and change the past like that.

I could hear the man from the roller coaster talking with another man, they were saying something about weapon smuggling and film -it became clear to me that this was blackmail, the man in black was demanding money from the other in exchange for film showing proof of a crime.

I held myself tight against a wall, trying to keep myself from entering their line of sight but peeking around the corner of the wall to confirm my suspicions.

From the sound of things it was clear that the man in black was also involved with more than just blackmail, he might have even been part of a crime group of some sort. The only thing that was for sure was that these guys were no joke, I'd stumbled on to something big.

I heard something shift behind me and could barely see something like an iron pipe as it came flying into my line of sight while I turned to see what was behind me. I didn't have time to dodge -heck, I barely had the time to turn my head and see him behind me- it was already to late; the pipe came down on me with amazing force.

I couldn't move, I could hardly think straight, it was all I could do to hang onto consciousness.

I could hear the two men talking but it was all kind of fuzzy but after a moment my mind had cleared enough that I could at least recognize what was being said.

"Should I get rid of him?" A voice I recognized as the man in black that had been blackmailing the random other guy asked.

A harsher voice that I knew was the blond man that had been on the roller coaster responded, "The police are still crawling all over this place after what happened earlier, better not use a gun."

"You're right..."

I could hear the faint sound of fabric rustling. If not a gun what's he pulling out?

"Some of the scientists have been bragging about how this poison can't be detected in autopsy, why don't we test it out?" The harsh sounding man actually seemed amused as he asked, though it didn't seem to be intended as a question. The other man must've realized it wasn't really a question because he didn't bother to answer.

I could barely feel it as he lifted my head and put something -no doubt the poison- in my mouth and washed it down with what I assumed was water. I was only vaguely aware of it as the two men in black left.

It felt like it was on fire, even though I was still mostly numb I couldn't focus on anything but the intense pain coursing through my entire body.

Crap...This is it... I'm really going to die...

I didn't ever get the chance to tell Ran how I feel about her...

That was my final thought before losing consciousness.

...

'ring'. 'ring'. 'ring'.

The sound of a cellphone's ringing woke me, it was my cellphone.

'There are cellphones in the afterlife?' I wondered briefly, not moving, as I mentally cursed myself for thinking something so illogical. The truth processed shortly thereafter.

... I'm alive? Their supposedly perfect poison... failed to kill me?

My mind raced, wondering what kind of poison it had been and how I'd managed to survive, until my thoughts were brought back to reality by the continued ringing of the phone. Wearily I reached for it, my arm shaky and aching a bit from the earlier pain.

It was a text message, just as mysterious as the one from before and written in English just as the earlier message had been, this time the senders wrote a lot more, but it still seemed rather cryptic:

_I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know how painful it was for you; I myself have experienced that exact pain several times before. Forgive me, I knew that this would happen and yet I did nothing in attempt to stop it, not that I would have been able to anyway, this event was something that was predetermined to be necessary- had it not happened things may have turned out even worse than they currently are, though you likely wouldn't have become involved.  
For now please trust me, as I would like your help in defeating the criminals that did this to you. Please, leave the theme park immediately and go home, inform the Agasa-hakase as to what is going on. I will send another message soon._

_- K.S. & E.C._

I had no choice but to comply. Whoever KS and EC were it was clear they knew what they were dealing with or at the very least knew better than I did.


	3. Chapter 2

**not much to say this time... well whatever I hope you enjoy! Please Review...  
**

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**chapter 2. LiEs increase undersTanding  
**

The messages from KS and EC still struck me as odd, the fact that it was signed as two people but the message itself is written as though there was only one writer bothered me. It was also strange that the messages were written in English when the senders seemed to know enough Japanese to use 'hakase' instead of 'professor' or 'doctor' when referring to Agasa-hakase, leading me to believe that there was some other reason why everything was in English. Suspicious as they were I did as they asked and returned home.

Though it was while I was on my way home that I realized something startling; I'd become a child. My entire physical appearance had been reverted back to how I'd been when I was a child, I could only assume that it had something to do with the poison that those men in black had forced me to ingest.

It took a while to convince hakase that I was myself and not some random child that had appeared out of nowhere and it took even longer to explain what I knew of what was going on -despite the fact that I knew very little, or maybe it was the fact that I had so little information to begin with that was making it so difficult to explain.

KS and EC, true to their previous message, sent another message shortly after I'd managed to get myself changed into my old primary school uniform, my embarrassment at finding that it fit perfectly only served to concrete the reality of the situation -but that's not important.

This time the message was a simple warning paired with simple instructions:

_Ran's coming. She can't be allowed to know who you are, keep it a secret from her at any costs._  
_There's a pair of glasses in the bottom drawer of your father's desk, put them on as a disguise._

_- KS & EC_

I wasn't sure if I should be glad that they'd given me warning that Ran was on her way, confused as to why she shouldn't be allowed to know that I had shrunk, or creeped out that the random strangers texting me knew that there was a pair of glasses in a particular drawer of a desk in my house. My emotional tug of war ended in a tie, all three emotions were justified.

So because I was somewhat creeped out and had the impression that KS and EC had been watching or at the very least my house (as how else would they know not only that Ran was on her way but also that I would find a pair of glasses in that drawer) I was hesitant to blindly follow their instructions without at least getting a second opinion I asked Agasa-hakase what he thought I should do about it.

"If those men in black find out you're still alive they might come to finish the job, they might even hurt the people around you so the less people that know the better," He replied, his tone was serious.

I sighed knowing that he was right. If Ran did realize that I'd been turned into a child by member's of a suspicious organization she'd probably make a big deal about it, she might even take it to the police... I got the feeling that these people were too dangerous to handle without a plan, the police wouldn't stand a chance.

I went to the desk that KS and EC mentioned and found the pair of glasses in the drawer that they had specified and I put them on and found that the distortion was enough to give me a head ache so I managed to poke the lenses out just as Ran predictably came through the door without once knocking.

"Shinichi! Are you there? Shinichi? !"

I mentally cursed myself as I realized that she was probably worried sick about me, I told her that I would call when I got home but it's been hours since I left her... it's only natural that she'd worry. It made me want so badly to tell her that I was right there, but I knew that would put her in danger.

Agasa-hakase replied to her, stopping my internal monologue short, "Sorry Ran, Shinichi isn't here right now. It's just me and..."

He trailed off as he seemed to realize that he wasn't sure what he should call me now, he couldn't very well call me 'Shinichi' that would be about the same as saying 'Shinichi shrunk and now he's a primary schooler again, but his mind is the same'. A name, I desprately needed a name.

Luckily Ran didn't realize he'd trailed off like that, as it was at that point that she'd noticed me -the suspicious nameless kid that looked like a chibi version of the person she was looking for with only a pair of glasses frames protecting my identity. I'm not sure if KS and EC are stupid for thinking the glasses will keep her from recognizing me or if I should just assume that the glasses were a precaution because there's no way she would guess I shrank... heck I wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't happened.

"Oh! This kid is so cute!" She said as she hugged me into her chest -a sure sign that she hadn't recognized me- moments later she let me go, "What's your name, little guy?"

This was the moment of truth, time to see if I could come up with an alias under pressure... I couldn't.

"My name is Shi..." I stopped myself as I realized I was about to say my real name. I cast a panicked glance at the bookshelf next to me and blurted the first names that stuck out, "My name is Edogawa Conan."

Conan? Edogawa Conan? Really? Is that really the best I can think of? I was practically telling her who I was! A stupid name like Edogawa Conan was sure to be seen through so easily... I mean it's not like there are that many kid in the world named after two -not one but two- mystery authors?

Wait... Edogawa Conan... EC... it can't be... can it? No way, I must just be over thinking this.

"Oh, so Conan-kun then?" Ran asked, completely oblivious to the obvious fake name. Maybe she noticed but understood that I wanted to keep it a secret... that would be just like her.

"Um, yeah, my parents were big fans of Arthur Conan Doyle... and I really like Holmes too..." I replied, trying to sound childish without much success, it all sounded so fake- even to me. I was ashamed of myself for lying like this.

Much to my surprise she bought it, "Maybe you should talk to Shinichi sometime, he's a huge fan of Holmes. I bet he'd be really excited to me you."

'If that were possible maybe,' I thought to myself sarcastically. I was about to say something but then Ran's phone started ringing.

She picked it up, "Hello? ... Oh, Shinichi!"

What? Shinichi? Impossible. 'Shinichi' can't be on the other end of that phone! I'm Shinichi! I'm right here!

I wanted to shout 'don't listen to him Ran!' but I decided to see how this goes before I said anything.

"Shinichi, where are you? Why didn't you come home after you left Tropical Land?" She asked, while the person on the other side of the call was obviously answering she occasionally nodded, "... Eh? A case came up? You always solve cases so quickly, why aren't you home yet? ... It's a big case? You're going to be away for a while... Shinichi I'm at your house right now and there's a kid here... eh? You know that there's a kid here? Oh! So Conan-kun's life is endangered by the case you're working on right now so you want me to take care of him while you solve the case... his parents will pay me? well... alright... but you'd better explain later."

Whoever that was must have been an extremely good liar.

Wait did she just say...? I'm going to be living with Ran? ! There random stranger impersonating me on the phone just arranged for me to live with Ran! What the...

My panicked internal monologue was cut off -once again- when Ran suddenly spoke up again, "Oh, you want to speak to Conan-Kun for a moment?"

She handed the phone to me, I took it but didn't say anything to greet the stranger.

The voice that came from the phone really did sound similar to my voice (I mean before I shrank of course), "Hello, Shinichi."

I gulped, this person knew the situation I was in, there couldn't possibly be many people that fit that description KS and EC would be among the few... could this be one of them? Or is it maybe someone else?


	4. Chapter 3

**It looks like people are starting to take notice of my badly hidden secret message... please don't tell anyone where it is okay? It's no fun if you spoil it, but if anyone does I might (I make no promises so don't try me) have to make it more complicated by turning it into a cypher...  
**

**From now on the format for the text messages will be different because it's back and forth... Well I hope you enjoy, please review because feedback will help me.  
**

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**cHapter 3. InconSisTancies OvertuRning realitY**

My detective instincts were telling me that the person on the other end of this phone call was either KS or EC. There was little basis for this assumption, but my gut feeling was telling me this was correct.**  
**

"Who are you?" I whispered into the phone, making sure that Ran wouldn't hear.

"My name doesn't really matter anymore," The person on the other end replied, sounding laid back.

For some reason this person's personality was starting to really annoy me. I asked again, trying hard to keep from saying anything loud enough for Ran to hear, "There must be something I can call you?"

"I've used many names in the past, but by now you probably have a pretty good idea of who I am. So let's just say I'm 'KS', we'll leave it at that for now. Oh, but on the phone you should call me 'Shinichi-niichan'."

I was glad to find that I had been correct about it being either KS or EC, but somehow it still felt unsettling that there was a stranger on the other side of the phone using my voice.

"Look, I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but I'll explain everything I can... later. For now I just wanted to reassure you that Ran wasn't talking to one of the bad guys," He said, adding the next part in a grim tone, "making this phone call was dangerous enough as it is. Just don't worry okay? I'll handle everything, so just do whatever I ask you to. Trust me."

He hung up.

How rude.

"He hung up," I tell Ran and hand the phone back to her as I continued to think about what he'd said.

Ran looked annoyed but didn't say anything about it, instead she took my hand and began to walk to the door, "Who wants to talk to that detective otaku anyway! Come on Conan-kun I'll show you your new home."

She took me to her house and we barely had time to make it to the living room before a call came giving her father what was apparently his first case in six months... the daughter of a company president had been kidnapped. A few hours of me acting like a child while still managing to be the one who actually solved the case later we arrived back 'home' in time for me to be left to sleep on a guest futon in Oji-san's room.

It was at that time that I finally received another message:

_I apologize for leaving you in the dark so long but I've been taking necessary precautions to make sure that these messages can't be intercepted by the 'bad guys'... if that were to happen it would spell the end in more ways than one.  
I'll tell you everything you need to know, you ask the questions I'll answer what I can.  
_

_- K.S. & E.C.  
_

They want to do this Q&A style, do they? I quickly texted a response, wondering why I hadn't thought to try that before.

**Me: **_Who are you? _

**KS & EC:** _I'm K.S. but E.C. is nearby if you'd rather talk to him.__  
_

__I sighed. Do I really have to specify exactly what it is I want to know if I want a clear answer? How troublesome.

**Me:** _Who are both of you?__  
_

**KS & EC:** _You wouldn't believe us if we told you. Next question._**  
**

**Me:** _What makes you think I wouldn't believe you?__  
_

**KS & EC:** _Past experience. Are you really going to ask something like that? Why not ask about the people that tried to kill you, or why I care?_**  
**

What a strange response. They'd rather I question their motive than their identity? Perhaps it's a mater of order, maybe they'll tell me who they are after they answer some other things.

**Me:** _Fine. Who were those guys?_**  
**

**KS & EC:** _Members of an organization that commits crimes, most of their crimes go unnoticed. To be specific those two members go by the code names Gin and Vodka, Gin is one of the most dangerous members of the organization, Vodka is his partner._**  
**

That's not much information... really he's only told me that they're part of a criminal organization and that they have stupid code names. Not much to go on.

**Me:** _What did you mean earlier when you said that you knew what would happen before it did?_**  
**

**KS & EC:** _Precisely that, I was aware that you were going to be given that drug and that you would shrink because of it. This was all necessary for us to be sure that you wouldn't die, because chances are you may have died the next time you coincidentally run into them if you hadn't become Conan.  
As it is you didn't die, but the organization thinks you did. _**  
**

**Me:** _I can see how that might put me in an advantageous position, but why me?__  
_

**KS & EC: **_You still haven't figured that out? No... I suppose you wouldn't have...  
__I can't interfere directly, sending text messages and making phone calls is all I can do to help this situation. However, please understand that I'm not remaining indirect to protect myself but because there's no other way. I understand the way that the organization will be moving, so I'll give you advice on how to move in response... but the ultimate choice is up to you.  
_

I'd already assumed that was the way that this would work out. That doesn't tell me anything.

**Me: **_That doesn't answer the question.__  
_

**KS & EC: **_Because it has to be you, and it has to be now.__  
Make no mistake, I'm not some random stranger that's brought you into something strange against your will. This was done because it was decided that it was necessary to reach a better future.  
_

**Me:** _A better future what do you mean by that? A better future for who? You?__  
_

**KS & EC: **_For Kudo Shinichi, and those who consider themselves his allies.__  
_

I was stunned.

A better future for... for me? What allies is he talking about? Himself?

Before I got the chance to reply I received another message.

**KS & EC:** _Goodnight, Conan.  
We can continue this another time._

I sighed. Wordy as he was he'd given me hardly any information, I was still no closer to understanding who I was helping and what we were up against.

There was only one way that I could put the pieces of information that I'd managed to receive together and get a full story... but it was impossible. I must be missing something.


	5. Chapter 4

**Another chapter that doesn't seem to have much going on besides a conversation with KS & EC (By the way I confirm that those of you who've been asking are to some degree correct about their identity, but aren't you the least bit confused about why it's sighed as both of them and yet the phone was only answered by 'KS' before?)  
**

**Well, I hope you enjoy, please review (for my sake).  
**

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**chapteR 4. EmPty EvAluaTions**

It was decided that I would be going to Teitan Elementary school -if only to make it more believable that I really was a six year old. I didn't want to but even though it was something that Agasa-hakase suggested KS and EC agreed, saying once again that this was something 'necessary' and that I should just accept it -rather high and mighty words for someone who supposedly wasn't even directly involved.

Though I guess going to school will give me plenty of time to think about who KS and EC might be as it was becoming increasingly apparent that they knew me extremely well, which caused me to wonder if they might be someone I know. So far I haven't the faintest idea who though, I can't think of anyone with those initials. Besides, there's no guarantee that those initials are that person's real initials, for all I knew they were a trick of some kind.

I tried thinking of some of the other things he'd said in hopes that something would stick out as a possible clue to his identity.

Almost everything that he'd said so far was either a direct order telling me to do something or some vague comment that in no way helped me to understand the situation.

He claims to have known what was going to happen to me before it did, however the only proof -if you can call it that- that he may have known something was going to happen would have to be the apology that he'd sent to my phone just before I followed the man -apparently codenamed Vodka. Theoretically it should be impossible to know exactly what's going to happen before it does, unless there's some kind of circumstance relating them to the organization that I don't know about.

If he has some kind of relation to the organization then that answers almost everything, it would definitely clear up the reason for his understanding how the organization will move, but it makes me question why he would be using me to try to take the organization down. I suppose he could be a double agent working from the inside but that explanation doesn't quite clear all of my suspicions.

He'd also said that he'd gone through the same pain before... but if he'd gone through the same pain before that would have to mean that he had been given the same poison. That guy -Gin- had said something about testing the poison on me, which would have to mean it hadn't been tested before... so it's impossible for KS or EC -let alone both of them- to have been given that poison.

He mentioned that he can't get directly involved not 'won't' but 'can't', meaning even if he wanted to he wouldn't be able to become involved with this situation directly. He says that the best he can do to help is send text messages and make phone calls, so he's basically using me as a proxy to take down the organization... and 'reach a better future' whatever that means.

In other words all the 'clues' I have as to who they might be are dead ends that don't lead to much aside from the clear fact that KS and EC are suspicious people -or at least one of them is a suspicious person.

Actually the only one I'd had any contact that I knew of with was KS, maybe EC would give more straightforward answers... I'd have to try talking to him (or maybe 'her') next time. Though it'll be pretty annoying if EC is just as evasive and frustrating as KS.

Such were my thoughts as I sat in class 'learning' things I already knew. After class I didn't have much of a chance to think because there was a group of kids pestering me, being the new kid had attracted a lot of attention and they were asking all kinds of annoying questions like why I transferred in and where I lived, they seemed really determined to become my friends but I was already getting a headache after just a few moments. I briefly wondered if I was that annoying when I was their age -well the first time I was their age.

I went home as soon as possible and luckily not long afterwards a case arrived and helped me take my mind off things. Funny how it is that a murder investigation can take my mind off of the troubles of daily life, sure it helped me realize just how annoying it was going to be to solve cases as a child from now on but I was able to manage by using the new voice-changing bow-tie that hakase made for me to use.

So naturally the case was quickly solved and I was soon back at the Mouri detective agency left to wonder what was going to happen to me from now on -which wasn't much fun to say the least. I thought about it on my own for what seemed like hours before a well timed text message arrived.

**KS & EC:** _You're worried aren't you?_

The fact that this message was sent precisely when I was worrying about my own future bothered me to the degree that I wound up looking around the room to see if I was being watched before I replied. I figured that there was no point in lying so I replied honestly.

**Me:** _Not about myself._

**KS & EC:** _I know. You're the type that would never be worried about yourself. You're more worried about how Ran-neechan will feel if 'Shinichi' doesn't return to her._

For a moment I wondered exactly how he would know that but then I realized that he'd put 'Ran-neechan'. KS had just said 'Ran' before, that meant that this was EC, but why would he call her 'neechan'? ...maybe KS was joking with me, he'd told me to call him 'Shinichi-niichan' maybe this is his way of telling me what to call Ran. I sighed to myself and decided to check to be sure

**Me:** _You don't seem to be KS._

**KS & EC:** _Correct, sorry for not introducing myself before now._

** Me:** _Any chance you'll tell me who you are?_

** KS & EC:** _You don't already know?_

Darn it, looks like I was right about them being people I know. Who are they? ! Can't they just tell me that much! ?

**Me:**_ Should I?_

** KS & EC:** _It's safer if you don't._  
_ If you understood who we are you'd become overconfident in yourself, and you might do some stupid or rash things. 4869 said that if anything happened to you because of us, that it would be really bad... that everything would fall to chaos._

Is it just me or is that even more cryptic than the stuff that KS had been saying before now? It makes no sense at all, and who on Earth is 4869? ! That's even less to go on than initials!

**Me: **_4869?_

**KS & EC: **_Sorry, I forgot that you were new to this.  
That's KS's codename it's 'Shiharoku' taken from the pronunciation of the numbers as 'shi-hachi-roku-kuu'. __  
_

'Sherlock', eh? It seems KS is pretty self confident. Who's he to be warning me about overconfidence? Well... at least I'm getting closer to having some idea about who they are.

**Me:** _Do you have a codename too?_

**KS & EC:**_ 'Cool Kid'._

Another weird one? I couldn't stop myself from sighing. The more I find out about them the stranger they seem to be. Do I have no so-called allies that are willing to give me a straight answer? It'll be really annoying to fight against an evil organization without even knowing who's on my side.

**Me:** _And what is it you and 4869 want with me, Cool Kid?_

**KS & EC:** _He already told you didn't he?  
We're trying to change the past._**  
**

What? 'Change the past?' If they're changing the 'past' then they must be at a point where my 'now' is their past. But that would have to mean they're from the future... oh no, this can't be happening. It's impossible. Completely impossible...

**Me:** _Could it be that you two are from the future?  
_

**KS & EC:** _Ah-re-re? You aren't supposed to know that yet! How did you guess?__  
_

**Me: **_I just figured that for you to be trying to change the past you must be from the future. I think I understand who KS is now, but if he's who I think he is then who are you?  
_

Even as I was replying I fought the urge to bang my head against a wall. Did they really expect me to believe that they were from the future and that KS was me? It's absolutely ridiculous! There's no way... Right?

**KS & EC:** _That's enough. The less you know the better.  
Besides something will happen again soon._

KS must have taken the phone back before EC could give me any answers... figures. If 'I' want to keep something a secret I'm not going to take it lightly -that is assuming the whole thing about KS being me from the future isn't some elaborate hoax.

Still, opens up about as many questions as it answers.

I mean how far in the future are they from? What do I have to do with that Black organization besides just getting poisoned? Who is EC and what relation does he have to all of this? What happened that would make me want to change the past that would be worse than what's already happened so far? And why exactly is my supposed future self so set on keeping me in the dark about all of this?

"Ugh... How did I get myself into this mess?"


	6. Chapter 5

**This chapter is taking place during the 'shinkansen bomb case' (anime episode 5, or manga chapters 33-35) because it's not a very complicated case I'm mostly just summarizing it, the only reason I'm writing it out is that there are some minor changes...  
**

**Sorry that the story so far seems kinda pointless because it's mostly the messages, it'll start to pick up from here on out as there start to be more deviations from the original storyline. I hope you enjoy, please review.  
**

* * *

**chApter 5. diverGence of reAlIty aNd memory  
**

I didn't get any messages for the next few days and when I finally did it was just as I was getting on the shinkansen, one of Ojii-san's friends had invited him to their wedding and we were running so late that Ojii-san was going to have to shave on the shinkansen but you probably know all about that if you're reading this.

**KS & EC:** _Gin and Vodka are on the shinkansen, there's also a bomb on board._  
_Good luck._

It was obvious that they weren't going to give me anymore information on whatever was about to happen on the shinkansen (actually I was surprised that they gave me as much information as they did) so I didn't bother to reply. Still, I wondered why he didn't warn me about this before I'd already gotten onto the shinkansen at least then I would have been able to keep Ran and the kids from getting on -but if I asked they'd probably just say it was necessary or something like that.

After several minutes of watching Ojii-san shave and argue with Ran as I ate my lunch I wound up running off when Ojii-san made a comment about my parents because I couldn't just say that 'Conan' is a made up person so I don't have any parents. When I was about to go to the next car of the shinkansen the door opened and the two men dressed in black emerged.

Naturally I followed them, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, but it seemed like they were going to be meeting someone in the dining car so I went back to their seats to put a mini-microphone (something new that Agasa had made for me, I could listen with my glasses) under the seat with gum but those kids caught me and put the gum in the seats ashtray -which was ironically a better position that where I had been putting it.

The kids then dragged me out into the hallway to ask what I had been doing and if those guys were murders or something, I managed to make them think that it was just a boring pointless prank and they ran off to go exploring. At that time the two men in black came back and I got a better look at them -they weren't Gin and Vodka at all, just some weird lookalikes that were coincidentally were wearing similar clothing.

KS and EC had said that Gin and Vodka were on the shinkansen, so had I accidentally found the wrong people and the real Gin and Vodka were on the shinkansen somewhere or had KS and EC been mistaken and actually thought that the lookalikes were the real Gin and Vodka? I decided to ask KS or EC later but for the time being I'd focus on the lookalikes because they were obviously up to something.

I used the microphone to listen to them but didn't gain much information. I only learned that there was a bomb in the briefcase that they'd traded to the person they met in the dining car and that the bomb would be set off at 3:10. The two lookalikes soon got off the shinkansen which left me with no choice but to try to figure out where the bomb was from what they'd said -because no one would believe a six year old saying that there was a bomb on the shinkansen.

I managed to narrow it down to three people sitting in a nonsmoking car but there wasn't much time until the bomb was going to go off and there wasn't much I could do to see what was inside their briefcases.

Unfortunately while I was in the middle of trying to check the briefcases I got thrown out of the car and Ran found me; in order to keep me out of trouble she took me back to our seats and wouldn't let me leave no matter what excuse I gave.

I was really tempted to just tell Ran the truth about who I was so that she would take me seriously -until I remembered KS and EC saying '_She can't be allowed to know who you are, keep it a secret from her at any costs.' _I'm not sure if my new assumption that KS was my future self is what was making me start to blindly trust them now but I felt that I definitely shouldn't let Ran know my real identity.

I sat quietly thinking about which of the three that I'd narrowed it down to might have the bomb and luckily managed to figure it out with only one minute to spare, of course I had to rush but I managed to make it to the bomb just in time to kick it off of the train with my new kick power enhancing sneakers. And everything turned out fine.

Later I texted KS and EC because they'd said it would be Gin and Vodka on the shinkansen but it was just lookalikes, meaning there was an inconsistency between what they said and what had happened.

**Me:** _Gin and Vodka weren't on that Shinkansen, there was just a pair of guys dressed in black that looked similar to them._

**KS & EC:** _Impossible. Gin and Vodka were definitely on that train._**  
**

**Me:**_ They weren't there. The bomb had been set up by two guys that looked a lot like Gin and Vodka in a woman's briefcase and it was set off when she called a certain phone number.  
_

**KS & EC:** _Yes, that situation is correct, but it was Gin and Vodka that set the bomb. It has to have been._**  
**

**Me:**_ I'm telling you, they really weren't there. What makes you think they were?**  
**_

**KS & EC:** _It was on that shinkansen ride that I first heard the codenames Gin and Vodka._

By saying that he was practically admitting that he was my future self (or at the very least that he was on that shinkansen and involved with the situation I just went through), but it was worrying that what he was saying he remembered didn't match up with what I just experienced. That couldn't possibly be a good thing. This is what's called a paradox isn't it? Even in books these kinds of things rarely end well...

**Me:** _Then what's going on?_

A stupid question, I know. If he had expected one thing to happen but something else had happened instead then there's no way he'd know exactly what was going on, sure he'll probably be able to supply an accurate guess or some reasonable theories but he's probably no more certain about the current situation than I am.

**KS & EC:** _There are three possible scenarios;_  
_1. The messages I've sent so far have had enough of an impact on the pas that there have been minor changes to your future._  
_2. These messages aren't being sent directly to our past but rather the past of a parallel world._  
_3. The enemy has also developed means to change the past._

**Me:** _How likely is the third?_

**KS & EC:** _Very. That organization is very well resourced, it wouldn't be surprising if they were able to create technology similar to what I'm using right now, if not a more complete 'time machine'._

As I read the message I gulped involuntarily, what he was saying was exactly what I was afraid of. Why is it that now of all times he's being bluntly honest, can't he just make up some reassuring lie or at least be more sure of the situation before saying stuff like that?

**Me: **_If they have a time machine they would know that Kudo Shinichi is Edogawa Conan, wouldn't they?_

**KS & EC:** _No, there's no way that they could know that. There's only one member of the organization that knows about my identity, and she's not likely to do anything about it or tell anyone else._

That's just saying that there's one person that knows, if she's not likely to do anything then there's still a chance however small. Not very reassuring.

**Me: **_So you admit you're me?_

**KS & EC:** _It's not like I did much to hid it.  
I know myself well enough to realize that you would try to solve any mystery put in front of you._

I could practically see him sighing through the text. Was me knowing who he was that bad? It's not like I was asking him to give me the winning lottery numbers or tell me how things end up with Ran.

We continued texting back and forth for quite a while but ultimately we never managed to come to any sort of conclusion on the matter of prescisely what was going on and so weeks passed without anything eventful happening.


	7. Chapter 6

**Sorry it took so long to write this chapter... I've been busy and I just wasn't happy with writing it, I'm still not satisfied with how it's turned out but it's good enough... I apologize in advance but I hope you enjoy it anyway, and please review because I'd be super happy if you did.  
**

**Half of you have probably been waiting for this 'diplomat murder case' (anime 48-49, manga 92-96) Hattori Heiji finally makes his appearance! Don't worry about the stuff that appears to have been skipped over, if it turns out to be important it will be flashback-ed.  
**

* * *

**chapter 6. time waits for no one  
**

I had received a mysterious message -not to say their usual messages weren't mysterious, this one was just especially so- from KS and EC a week prior saying nothing more than '_good luck with your cold._' I'm sure it's no coincidence that within days of their message I managed to catch a cold, though it wasn't a bad cold or anything just enough that I was reasonably disabled.

Another message soon came, '_Don't drink it.' _this message arrived moments before Hattori Heiji -though I didn't know that was who he was at the time- came barreling in looking for 'Kudo Shinichi' and claiming that he wouldn't leave until he was able to meet him.

His blind determination tempted me to let him know that I was Kudo Shinichi just to get him to leave if nothing else, but naturally I hesitated to do so. I couldn't help wondering if this was what the message had meant, if perhaps 'drink' had been a typo and he'd meant to say 'do' as to say 'don't tell Hattori' because if that were the case then it would likely result in chaos if my identity were to be discovered by him. I made a mental note to complain later that the messages had been growing more and more cryptic since I'd confirmed KS's identity as me -perhaps he was trying to spite me for it, as counterproductive as that might be.

For the moment I decided that whatever the meaning behind the message may have been I would simply avoid letting Hattori find out my real identity, and I would also not drink anything suspicious until I could discover the true meaning of the message.

So I coughed and sniffled as Hattori delivered his brilliant (read: unnecessary and bothersome) deduction about how I was likely somewhere nearby simply because I didn't ask her about herself whenever 'I' called, eventually the pitiful noises I was making earned his attention and he began to insist that I drink an alcohol that he'd brought with him because it would make me feel better.

Naturally I doubted that it would make me feel any better and thereby declined the offer. Understanding that the alcohol was probably what the message meant... why was Hattori trying to give alcohol to a child anyway, even if I hadn't been shrunk I'm still underage. Whatever his reasoning behind it being alright to give a sick child alcohol -which I'm sure probably would have made me feel worse in the long run- was of little consequence as I didn't wind up drinking any.

As Hattori continued to insist that 'Kudo Shinichi' was nearby and that he wanted to meet him a woman arrived to ask Ojii-san to investigate her son's new girlfriend.

It turned into a rather tedious case, when we arrived at their house to investigate it turned out that the woman's husband had been murdered. I managed to solve the case pretty quickly but I couldn't do the 'Sleeping Kogoro' with Hattori around, I wasn't thinking clearly enough to be able to give good hints, and if all of that wasn't bad enough Hattori looked like he'd already figured everything out but I could tell that he'd come to the wrong conclusion.

It was at that moment that my cell phone started ringing, I answered it quickly, I could already guess who was on the other end.

"Shiharoku?" I asked in a whisper, though my voice was already weak because of the cold. I had decided to start calling him by his code name because leaving it as KS was odd and it would be even stranger to just refer to him as 'Shinichi' because it'd be almost like talking about myself in third person..

"Tsk, tsk, what did I tell you to call me over the phone, Conan," The familiar voice chided. He would unmistakably be 'Kudo Shinichi' as far as most anyone was concerned.

I realized quickly that this was a perfect solution, Hattori would get to 'meet Kudo' and the case would be correctly solved, two birds with one stone... or rather call.

I coughed, not bothering to whisper any longer but instead forcing a childish tone onto my voice, "Shinichi-niichan?"

Oh course my saying that attracted Ran and Hattori's attention -as well as that of a few others- the two of them looked about ready to snatch the cell phone out of my hand.

"That's the ticket," He said, sounding like an older brother praising his younger brother, "I assume you've already solved the case?"

"Un," I said, nodding (an action which made me slightly dizzy) in confirmation despite the fact I knew he couldn't actually see me. I added the next part more quietly "Hattori looks like he's got it too, but I think he arrived at the wrong culprit and trick."

"That's good then, things are following nearly the same pattern as last time," I could almost see a proud smirk on his face as he continued, "Put this phone on speaker so I can take the stage after Hattori makes his incorrect deduction."

I put the phone on speaker as he asked before replying.

"Alright," I said aloud childishly, my own high tone hurting my head as I turned to Hattori and continued, "Shinichi-niichan says you're wrong but you should go ahead and give your deduction, he'll tell you why you're wrong after that."

Ran frowned, scolding me, "Conan-kun, you should respect your elders more."

"I was just saying what Shinichi-niichan said..."

"Still, it's..." Ran stared but she was soon cut off by Hattori.

"S' a'ight," Hattori said glaring at me -or perhaps my cell phone, "I jus' wanna know why Kudo thinks I've got it wrong."

"I don't 'think', I know," Shiharoku said, his tone overflowed with confidence, "From the information that Conan has given me I know the solution to this case and that you, Hattori, have fallen for the false lead. Oh, but if you don't believe me then by all means give your deduction, I wish I could be there personally to see the look on your face when you realize you were wrong."

I'm sure you can imagine what happened next, Hattori started yelling at the phone and ultimately got into an argument with Shiharoku who stubbornly insisted that Hattori was just being stupid. Eventually some one broke up the argument asking Hattori to just give his deduction, which he did and Shiharoku proved him wrong as promised.

With the case solved and everyone but Hattori relatively happy we returned to the detective agency. Hattori decided on his own to stay the night -apparently he thought I was suspicious because even though I'm a child (and was sick) I was able to give 'Kudo Shinichi' good enough information about the case for him to solve it without being there, which is actually extremely suspicious now that I think about it.

It doesn't really matter much since it's not like he'll be able to figure out my real identity anyway, especially not with Shiharoku helping me (though he tends to pull the 'this was necessary' card more often then I'd like).

Taking out my phone I quickly sent a text to my mysterious future self.

**Me: **_Was there a reason for me not to drink Paikaru?_

**KS & EC:** _It would have temporarily returned you to __your former self, however not longer enough to do anything but give a deduction and make Ran worry about you more than ever. Taking it would have also given you an immunity to it, better to save it for a rainy day so to speak.__  
_

**Me:** _Drinking alcohol would return me to my original form?_**  
**

**KS & EC:**_ That alcohol, yes._ _It works best if you have a cold._**  
**

**Me:** _Do I even want to know why you drank it enough times to know that a cold helps?_**  
**

**KS & EC:** _I've only used the alcohol to change back three times, a certain ally of ours managed to make a temporary antidote.__  
_

"Who're ya textin' kid?" Hattori suddenly said, I hadn't realized he was there until he spoke, "It's Kudo ain' it."

"You're right, how did you guess Heiji-niichan?" I replied. I didn't bother listening as he explained the reason why he'd been sure of who it was. As long as he doesn't try to look at the texts everything should be fine.

**Me:** _Why were you so persistent earlier when you were arguing with Hattori. You could have just given your deduction first instead of insisting he was wrong without explaining anything first._

**KS & EC: **_But that wouldn't be as fun.__  
_

Eh? So it had just been for fun then? What's fun about arguing? Nothing. There is nothing fun about arguing. It's just a complete waste of time.

**Me:** _If it's so fun why don't you just go argue with the Hattori in your time period?_

"Ya seem ta be awfully close ta Kudo, who 'xactly are ya?" Hattori asked when he realized that I wasn't going to say anything about his deducing who I had been texting.

"I'm Edogawa Conan," I replied, keeping my tone childish, "I'm part of the case that Shinichi-niichan is working on right now, we keep in contact so I'll know if he's made any progress or if anything's happened."

**KS & EC:** _I would if it were possible, however, I can't see him anymore.  
The Hattori Heiji of my time is already long dead._

What? Hattori is dead in his time? What happened, when, where... why? Come on Shiharoku, give me the details so I can be sure to prevent it! Don't you dare give me that 'this was determined to be necessary, it had to happen' crap! You and I should both know that I'm not going to sit back and watch someone die if it can be prevented.

"What'd Kudo have ta say?" the Osakan detective asked curiously, "Did somethin' happen in de case, ya look like ya've jus' seen a ghost."

For just a moment neither of us spoke. I must have had a strange look on my face as I looked up at Hattori, though I can't be sure if it would have been sad or just surprised. I couldn't be sure if he was confused or concerned as he looked back at me with an expression befitting a detective, searching me for the missing clue he'd need to figure out what was going on.

"It's nothing," I answered, looking back down at the phone so my eyes would no longer be meeting. I silently prayed that Hattori would just shut up and walk away, realizing that this was something I didn't want to talk about -no such luck.

"I'll be de judge a' that!" He proclaimed loudly, snatching the phone from my hand, "Lemme see."

I watched as Hattori looked at the message announcing his own eventual death, his eyes widened. From his face alone I already had a pretty good idea what kinds of thoughts were passing through his mind. He was conflicted, unsure whether to believe what he was seeing or not. The message implies that it had been sent from the future, and states that Hattori is 'long dead'... naturally this brings up questions such as 'how long' but that would be one of the last questions to cross his mind.

Before anything else he would want answers; there would be no point in lying because he would probably look into it if I said anything suspicious, telling him the truth would make him an ally... but it's dangerous for anyone to know my identity, that may be what killed him in the future. Assuming that Shiharoku would warn me when the time came I decided that the truth would probably be best.

"Sorry but... I'm pretty sure there's no reason to lie about something like that."

Hattori handed the phone back to me hesitantly, "What's goin' on?"


	8. Chapter 7

**Sorry it took so long, I've finally got a new chapter for you anyone who cares to read this, it's longer than the previous ones though.  
**

**As usual I hope you enjoy! Please review for my sake!  
**

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**chapter 7. another dIvergence of consequence  
**

Moments later Hattori and I were in the library at my house, though as far as Ran knew we had gone to talk to the professor because I'd told Hattori about a cool detective game he'd made. This was something that I couldn't let be overheard by anyone, who knew when the Black Organization might notice me and it's not as though things are guaranteed to go the same way they had for Shiharoku and Cool Kid.

"Okay, first things first: I am Kudo Shinichi."

Hattori's eye's narrowed in disbelief, "That ain't possible, 'sides if that wer true den who was that on de phone earlier?"

"Me," I answered calmly, I could feel a strange smile creeping onto my face as I continued, "I know it sounds impossible, I find it hard to believe myself, but it's true."

"If ya don't tell me de truth den I'll tell that girl that you're watchin' her an' tellin' Kudo all about 'er," He said, sounding a little more than just slightly annoyed. The smile was wiped completely from my face.

So that's what he thinks I'm doing? I suppose it would make sense, if Shinichi doesn't ask Ran about how she's doing whenever he calls her but there just happens to be a child around that's observant enough to describe a case to Shinichi well enough for him to solve it and has regular contact with Shinichi, anyone could put two and two together and see that the child is acting as Shinichi's eyes and ears.

"I can't prove it but this is the truth!" my tone was angrier than I had meant it to be, "I really am Kudo Shinichi!"

"If ya can't prove it I have no reason ta believe ya! Ahou!"

"Do you think I don't know that? !" I replied, pacing in a circle as I thought.

How on Earth am I supposed to prove that I'm Kudo Shinichi and that Shiharoku is also Kudo Shinichi (I actually have no proof of that besides the circumstantial evidence myself) ? The situation is ridiculous, proving it would be near impossible.

"Maybe..." I started, trailing off for a moment before I continued, "Maybe if we call him... he should be able to prove everything..."

"He?" Hattori asked, "What'er ya talkin' 'bout?"

Not bothering to answer him I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed the now familiar number. The call was picked up after just two rings.

"Shiharoku I-" I started but I was interrupted.

"No, not Shiharoku."

I raised an eyebrow, the voice was the same so it was definitely the same person as before unless he was using a voice changer of some sort. Is this some kind of joke? I sighed, "Fine,_ Shinichi-niichan._"

"Um... that's not what I meant... Shiharoku is asleep right now..." the person on the other side of the phone sounded really nervous, "Er... Should I have not answered?"

How could Shiharoku be asleep, he was texting me just a moment ago... did he fall asleep just after sending that last text? Maybe it only seems inconsistant because the messages are traveling through time, it's possible that hours or even days have passed for him few minutes since he sent that text. Whatever the case, if it's not Shiharoku then this is probably Cool Kid, either that or someone I don't know of picked up his phone -which would be troublesome to say the least.

"Oh, I see, so you're Cool Kid..." I couldn't keep myself from sighing again, "It's no problem..."

"Cool Kid? Who on Earth is Cool Kid?" Hattori asked, but I ignored him seeing no need to answer him until I after I finished the call. It's not as if I was really sure exactly who Cool Kid really was anyway.

Why do Shiharoku and Cool Kid have the same voice? Don't tell me they really are using a voice changer like the bow tie I've been using to solve cases... what would be the point in that, is there a reason why I shouldn't hear their real voices?

Is it possible that Shiharoku was using the voice changer to hide that he isn't really me? No that shouldn't be the case... maybe they're far enough in the future that his voice has changed, or perhaps early enough in the future that his voice would be too young to be recognized as Kudo Shinichi. If he's just on the phone with me neither would be a problem unless they're trying to keep me from being able to tell how much time has passed between their time and my current time.

"That's good, It'd be really bad if I made mistake while Shiharoku was still asleep," He replied cheerfully, "So is there a reason why you called? Maybe I can help!"

That childish attitude of his made me seriously doubt that he would be able to actually help me in any way but it would have been pretty stupid to refuse so I tried asking, "I need to prove to Hattori that I really am Kudo Shinichi, is there any way that you know of that I can do that?"

"You still have a bit of a cold right? Why don't you try drinking Paikaru?" Cool Kid suggested with a surprisingly childish tone, "Even though it's just temporary, by turning into Shinichi he won't be able to deny that you're you."

That actually sounds like a good idea... I'm surprised I didn't think of it myself.

"Thanks Cool Kid... I'll try that."

He hesitated a moment before saying, "Be careful... changing back hurts a lot."

He hung up before I had the chance to say anything else.

I involuntarily swallowed as I put the phone away, I probably made a strange face as I turned to Hattori and asked, "You wouldn't happen to know where Oji-san put the alcohol you brought earlier would you?"

The Osakan detective looked at me for a moment, it was a questioning look as though he was choosing now of all times to believe that it wasn't okay to give a small child alcohol when he was trying to give it to me only a few hours ago.

"If I drink some of it I'll turn back into myself for a little bit," I explained, as I hoped that it would work even though my cold was already feeling better than it had been earlier, "It's all I can do to prove who I really am."

After continuing to look at me for just a moment longer he sighed, "If yer lyin' I'm gonna regret this... I'll go get that alcohol, you be ready ta turn inta Kudo when I get back."

I nodded without saying a word. He turned, headed for the door, and within moments was out of my sight. I quickly went to put on a pair of clothes that would fit me once I returned to being 'Shinichi' and waited for Hattori near the entryway, trying to prepare myself for whatever pain was going to come from turning into my original form.

It didn't take him long. No more than seven minutes had passed when Hattori reentered my house, alcohol in hand.

He said nothing and handed me the bottle which I hesitantly took, after a brief moment I touched the bottle to my mouth and drank a few mouthfuls. It burned going down but nothing worth noticing happened immediately after I drank it. I was worried, if I couldn't turn back into myself I wouldn't be able to prove my identity; was I just not sick enough for the Paikaru to work, or was this a different kind of Paikaru than the one that Shiharoku had used to change back when he'd first encountered Hattori, or maybe there was something different about the poison that made it unlike the one he'd taken.

"Ah-re? Nothing's happening..." I muttered to myself. I could feel Hattori staring at me, trying to see if there was any kind of change -mental or physical- after drinking the Paikaru to determine whether or not to believe me.

He opened his mouth -probably about to state that he hadn't actually expected me to turn into a teenager after drinking some alcohol anyway- but he didn't actually say anything instead his expression shifted, he looked worried though I wasn't sure why.

That's when it started to hit me. I felt abnormally hot - like I was on fire, I was probably sweating bullets to but I couldn't really feel that past all the horrible sensations raging through my body. There were bright pulsations of colors flashing before my eyes, each accompanied by a stabbing sense of vertigo and pain. All of it felt similar to how I had felt on the day that I was poisoned in the moment that I had truly believed I was going to die. I tried to ignore these feelings, or to at least hold them back- in vain.

I screamed.

Then in a flash I felt better, I still kind of felt like crap but significantly less so.

"Whoa... Are ya okay?" Hattori asked hesitantly, he looked surprised.

"I'm fine..." I replied. I had never been so happy to hear my own voice in my entire life, it was to deep to be 'Edogawa Conan' so I was back to being myself... but I wasn't sure how long I would be able to stay this way. At best I probably would only have a few hours, Ran would worry even more it I 'came back' only to leave again so soon I may as well not even let her know I'm here.

Hattori let out a sigh, "I guess I gotta admit dat it's true an' yer really Kudo."

You better! After all that pain I just went though if you'd tried to say it was a trick I'd have punched you right then and there you Osakan idiot! However despite my raging thoughts I replied calmly, "Yeah, I am."

He looked at me for a moment and I looked back at him, we sat together like that in awkward silence until he eventually broke the tension like a katana slicing through a stick of butter, "So how'd ya get ta be a chibi like dat 'neway?"

"I'm not a chibi!" I shouted, then I took a few seconds to calm myself down realizing that that would have been a completely pointless argument, I answered him, "I accidentally saw some suspicious people blackmailing a guy, I was caught watching them and they used a supposedly untraceable poison to try to kill me... I didn't die but I've been in that childish form ever since- until now at least."

"So it was a poison dat made ya a chibi like dat?" He summarized, trying to reaffirm that the crazy sounding explanation that I had just said was indeed what I had meant to say and not just the product of my sickness.

"That's right."

Not wasting any time trying to tell me that it was all completely impossible -though he was no doubt thinking it- he moved on to the next question that was running though his head, "Den who was it on de phone?"

"Do you mean the phone call during the case, the texts from a few moments ago, or the phone call just now?" I asked.

"All a' 'em," He responded very predictably -why did I even bother to ask.

"That first call was from 'Kudo Shinichi' in the-" I started but was interrupted.

"But yer Kudo, an' ya were in de room, how could ya've been de one talkin' on de phone?" He asked, apparently not patient enough for me to finish explaining.

I sighed, "The one on the phone was my future self, he's been calling and texting me from the future ever since I was poisoned. Apparently something really bad has happened in the future and he's trying to make sure it doesn't happen. He also sent the text you saw."

"Da text dat said I was gonna die..." He pointed out, sounding deject.

I understood how he felt. If he were to admit that it could be possible to receive messages from the future he'd be admitting that he had somehow died in the not-to-distant future. If I were in his position I'd probably be denying it too.

I figured it'd be best to change the subject, "The future me goes by the codename 'Shiharoku', it's written as 4869. The person I was on the phone a few minutes ago wasn't Shiharoku though, it was 'Cool Kid'... I don't really know anything about him besides that his initials are apparently EC and he seems pretty childish, but it looks like he and Shiharoku are close enough to be sharing a phone..."

"Ya don't know who dis 'Cool Kid' is den? Jus' dat his initials are EC an' 'e's apparently close ta ya in de future?" Hattori asked, he seemed curious, though I can't say I'm not still curious about Cool Kid either.

I shook my head.

Instead of pursuing the matter he started asking questions about the people that poisoned me and I continued to answer him until he had about as much information as I did.

Before long I reverted back to being 'Edogawa Conan' (which was every bit as painful as turning into myself had been) and we both returned to the Mouri detective agency where he spent the night before returning to Osaka and I continued to act as Conan as I had been ever since shrinking.


	9. Chapter 8

**Again not really happy with how this chapter went, I probably should have gone through more stuff but I want to get to one of the important twists that I've been lining up since the beginning, it shouldn't be long before I get to it... I'm surprised no one picked up on such a huge inconsistency...  
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**Anyway, Kaitou Kid appears, more divergence, even a few answers. Hope you enjoy~ And PLEASE review (especially if you think you've figured something out, I'd like to know what you think is happening)  
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**ChApter 8. uNclosed ripples in Time  
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Not much had happened since then, not right away at least, it took nearly a month before anything of interest happened again. It was then -after about a month that is- that I met the most annoying criminal I'd likely ever meet, the infamous Kaitou Kid.

The announced date for the heist was march thirtieth. I solved the riddle of his notice quickly enough; he would come on his hang glider from the roof of a tall building nearby, that's all there was to it. All I would have to do is wait for him, and so I did. Of course you know how that ended, the thief and I meet we talked for a bit then he called the police to our location and left, all of that is just repeated history the interesting part was what happened next.

The next day the heist target would be on a ship with the Suzuki family and a large number of invited guests, so naturally Kid intended to steal it then if only to be as flashy as possible. He took it, but I had caught him doing it -disguised as Ran no less- and in the end I cornered him and we wound up talking for a moment (mostly just me explaining how I knew he wasn't Ran) in an area that few people would think to look.

I was planning to knock him out as soon as I got a chance, but he said something that made me pause for a moment.

"So I am right," He said, sounding confident, "You're E.C., aren't you?"

My jaw dropped, he knew about E.C.? Moreover he thought I was E.C.? Impossible, E.C. is in the future and my future self is already confirmed as K.S.- as Shiharoku. So why does Kaitou Kid think I'm E.C.?

As if reading my mind he spoke up, "A child detective, Edogawa Conan. Who else could E.C. be but you?"

Sound logic. The name fits, actually it all fits, but it's impossible because 'Edogawa Conan' isn't a real person. Cool Kid has always acted somewhat childish, it makes sense for him to be a child, but I'm not actually a child I wouldn't act childish if I didn't have to.

Upon realizing that my thoughts were going nowhere I decided to just ask Kid, "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I mean," The moonlight magician replied, sounding a bit annoyed, "Sending all those messages, always signed as 'K.S. & E.C.'. Random hints, and bits of advice helping me get closer to my goal."

Why would they be messaging him? What difference does it make in the fight against the Black Organization whether or not a thief achieves his goal... unless the goal has something to do with them, but what relation would a secret crime organization that dresses all in black have to do with a flashy phantom thief clad in white? It makes no sense... but maybe that's the point.

"Which is what exactly?" I asked, figuring that if the thief was willing to be so talkative just because he'd mistakenly deduced that I was E.C. I may as well take advantage of it.

He raised his hand to his forehead with a sigh, "As if you don't know."

I shook my head.

Kid simply stared at me for a moment as though he wasn't sure what to do next, then in a moment his face lit up, "Oh, I get it! You must be E.C.'s past self, of course... he and K.S. said they weren't able to do anything but send messages and make calls, I thought it was weird being able to meet you..."

I interrupted him, seeing no reason to let the thief -who was apparently on the same side as me - believe that I was actually a child much longer, "Actually... I'm K.S.'s past self. I'm Kudo Shinichi."

"No way," Kid replied without hesitation.

"Whatever... you don't have to believe me," I sighed, no longer actually caring. Instead of pursuing the identity subject I decided to ask a different question, "What kind of things have they said to you?"

"As I mentioned before, just cryptic advice and the occasional odd instruction," He replied, "I assume it's the same for you?"

I thought so, it wouldn't make any sense if they were messaging him without some kind of reason. I answered him honestly, "Yeah... But they apologize a lot too."

"Apologize for what? Did they do something to you?" I could imagine the kind of expression he was making even though his hat an monocle -that I have no idea when he changed into- shadowing his face. Confusion probably, maybe curiosity, perhaps a hint of concern.

"It's what they didn't do, I think..." I explained, pausing for a moment to be sure that I wasn't just making up what I was saying without any basis at all, "They feel guilty because they know what they're making me go through, and they can't keep it from happening because that would make me an easy target for the organization..."

That was all true as far as I knew, though I didn't have any proof. I couldn't be sure that it was the real reason that they had done any of what they'd done, for all I know the only reason they didn't prevent me from being poisoned was so the organization would think I was dead so they wouldn't notice me investigating them, which seeing as I was famous before I shrank I would have been noticed pretty easily.

"Sounds..." The thief trailed off, searching for a word that would properly fit the situation I'd described finally settling on the perfect word, "...complicated."

"I'm sure it is..." I muttered. For Shiharoku and Cool Kid this probably all made sense, it probably wasn't complicated at all for them, but It'd probably be a long time before I could understand everything that was going on.

"Well anyway I should get out of here pretty soon, Nakamori-keibu is bound to find this place eventually. So here's the pearl," Kid said as he tossed the item in question to me.

I looked up at him feeling compelled to ask, "You aren't going to take it?"

" It's not the gem I'm looking for," He said quietly. At the edge of his hat's shadow I could see a grin, as he spoke up, "You can get my number from those two if you want to continue this sometime. Until then, Goodbye Tantei-kun~"

Then he disappeared into a puff of smoke, he'd obviously left through the door that was now wide open only feet away but I didn't feel the need to chase him. -What would be the point? It's not like he actually stole anything.- Instead I stood there a moment wondering what Kid's role in all of this was.

It occurred to me that maybe he was Cool Kid... but I brushed that thought aside, it wouldn't have made any sense. No, Cool Kid was someone I already knew, he couldn't be the thief I'd just met, the code name would be too simple anyway. So what did Kid have to do with my future... I guess there's only one way to find out.

I'll just have to ask.

Naturally I texted Shiharoku later to get the thief's number, he gave it to me, but moment's later he sent a more concerning message.

**KS & EC:** _It's all wrong._

**Me:**_ What's all wrong?_

**KS & EC:**_ Time._  
_Thing's that shouldn't be effected by our messages keep changing._

**Me:**_ You want to change the future right? Isn't it good if things are happening in different ways?_

**KS & EC:**_ The things that change aren't things that should have changed. The only major changes I've made so far should be the difference int your back story, Heiji becoming involved earlier, and one change I asked Kaito to do, but those aren't the only things that have changed._

I paused a moment to think about it, it didn't take long because there was only one conclusion that could be drawn. If there were changes that weren't related to the changes that Shiharoku was making then there had to be something else making changes... whether that was a good or bad thing was still a mystery.

**Me:** _Then something else is making changes?_

**KS & EC:**_ Exactly._  
_It's mostly small things, but they're pilling up. Who knows what kind of effect they'll have in the long run._

**Me:**_ What kind of changes have happened so far?_

**KS & EC:**_ The imposters on that shinkansen instead of Gin and Vodka, this heist occurred one day early when the notice had originally said it would be on April first, I have no doubt that there have been countless other changes that you wouldn't have mentioned to me because it wouldn't be a change from your point of view. But there's also been one major change that I didn't realize until just recently even though it happened before I started changing things._

I swallowed. If there was a change that occurred before he'd started changing things then that was absolute proof that either someone else was changing things or this was an alternate timeline. Whatever change he was talking about must have been something hugely important but subtle enough to go unnoticed, I'd have to be insane not to ask.

**Me:** _What changed?_

**KS & EC:**_ Tell me. How long have you had that cellphone?_

It seemed like a weird question for him to be asking, but I was sure he had a reason for asking so I answered honestly.

**Me:** _I got it about a month before that day at Tropical Land._

**KS & EC:** _How did you get it?_

**Me:**_ A client gave it to me. I tried to tell her that I didn't need one but they insisted._

**KS & EC:**_ What did this client look like?_

**Me:** _It was a woman, she didn't really have any distinguishing features though. Why? Is it important?_

**KS & EC:**_ Her appearance doesn't matter, she was probably in a disguise anyway. It's more concerning that that person gave you a cellphone._

I was almost afraid to ask why. Almost.

**Me:** _Why is that concerning?_

**KS & EC:** _I didn't have a cellphone until after I became Conan._  
_Doesn't it seem odd that you were given one before you were originally supposed to have one and yet the cellphone you're currently using has the same number as the one I had back then?_


	10. Chapter 9

**If my plans are anything to go by -which they probably aren't since I suck at planning- this will be the chapter where everything starts to fall into place... There should be only one more chapter before things get more exciting.  
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**Anyway, we're finally getting somewhere and I've finally decided on an ending (it's a while away though) you'll never see it coming but I'm trying to lay down a few hints here and there...  
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**Please review!  
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**chapter 9. the reSolve of The mAN who stanDs against time  
**

Ever since Shiharoku told me that I shouldn't have had a cellphone until after becoming Conan I couldn't help but wonder about it. There was just so much that didn't make any sense._  
_

For starters if I wasn't supposed to even have a cellphone at that time then why did he even send that first text to me at that time, he could have sent it to a time after I was supposed to have a phone but he sent it then instead. I guess he must have just not thought about it when sending the message, but still it's a bit odd not to think about the possibility of not having a phone when you're sending a message to your past self... he must be far enough in the future that it's strange not to have a cellphone at my age.

Of course that's just the tip of the iceberg, the real mystery is the cellphone I have and the person that gave it to me. Shiharoku seemed to assume he knew who it had been that gave it to me, and from the sounds of things it definitely wasn't a good sign. How did that person give me a cellphone with the same number as the one I was supposed to receive some time after turning into my current form? It couldn't possibly be a coincidence, it seemed too planned... a definite sign of time travel, whoever that person had been they had knowledge from the future at their disposal.

The question is: which side were they on?

Me having a cellphone early is convenient for Shiharoku since then he can send messages to me earlier, but it's clear that he hadn't planned it. If he hadn't planned it then either it was someone from the Black Organization, or a member of an unknown third party. A third party I could deal with, a nice third party that's involved in time travel (heck, they could be aliens that fly around in a blue box for all I care) and is also fighting against the Organization but on a different front would be nice. On the other hand if this is the result of the Organization having managed to achieve time travel then I have no doubt that they have some kind of evil scheme that will mean trouble if we can't figure out what it is and how to counter it quickly.

It didn't help my thoughts that Shiharoku didn't seem happy about who he thought the person who'd given me the phone was... yeah, definitely not good.

In the end the only thing we could really do was get me a new cellphone that was less likely to have been tampered with by the Black Organization, not that we thought it would make much of a difference. I'd had that phone for months, the damage was probably already done; if there had been a any kind of futuristic listening devices or something that would let them access the memory on my old phone that I wouldn't have been able to notice then the Organization could know about all the messages that Shiharoku had been sending me, they could trace the signals and find either one of us and just kill us on the spot.

But let's be optimistic; if they were going to kill us, they could have done it months ago. They obviously want or need us alive for something.

Whatever the case I don't really have enough information to piece all of this together, Shiharoku might, but he's been reluctant to tell me any seemingly useful information since he'd mention my cellphone -maybe he was still worried that someone had managed to listen in on us or trace his location. Time passed as it always does -albeit with a bit more paranoia than usual, but that's hardly relevant- and before I knew it more than a month had gone by before I got any answers.

That's when I met Haibara Ai.

She was the new girl in class, a reasonably cute girl who acted far more mature than she looked. I should have known right away who she was, it was so obvious, the entire day she never once acted like a real child she was too quiet, too knowing... I guess I was just a bit too focused on solving the case that the Shonen Tantei Dan managed to get that day.

The most childish thing I saw her do was cry, and that was faked. The entire way home she trailed behind me shedding those almost real crocodile tears of her's -I would have believed her to if my phone hadn't started ringing.

I answered quickly, at first assuming it was Ran wondering why I was coming home so late but the all too familiar voice that came through the phone soon confirmed that it wasn't.

"Hello, it's me again."

I didn't even have to ask, it was Shiharoku. I could feel a faint smile curling at the edge of my mouth, "What's it this time 'Niichan'?"

"Tell Sherry she can drop the act," He said again without giving me a chance to say any more he continued, "Also let her know that I say 'hello'."

I knew that Sherry was an alcoholic drink so I naturally became suspicious upon hearing it used as a name, I didn't bother to look around because I knew there was only one other person nearby... but a little girl can't be a member of the organization, can she? Even they wouldn't recruit seven year old girls... right?

I had the feeling that I was going to regret asking but I asked anyway, "Who's Sherry?"

I was vaguely aware that the girl behind me tensed up at the mention of the name but I didn't think anything about it until Shiharoku answered me, "Turn around."

I obliged, finding myself staring at the girl who was staring back at me. She wasn't crying anymore, she'd stopped when I said 'Sherry' before, now she was simply staring at me with a cold look, her face still a bit red from her earlier false tears.

I tried to act casual as I said, "Er... Hello Sherry."

She tensed up even more, dropping her act completely, "Who're you talking to, how do they know that name?"

Even if she'd responded to the name she never actually admitted to being 'Sherry'. I made a mental note that she was more intelligent than she appeared at first glance. If she really is a member of the Black Organization then she probably knows who I am -why else would she be here?- so there's no point in keeping up the Conan act but I may as well answer honestly to throw her off.

"It's Kudo Shinichi."

I could practically see the metaphorical wheels turning in her mind. She narrowed her eyes, "But that's impossible, you are Kudo Shinichi."

"What would make you think that?" I asked with a smirk.

The question made her pause for a moment as I tried to figure out why I was still alive if there was a member of the Black Organization that knew who I was. Shiharoku had said once that there was an organization member that knew his identity that didn't do anything about it... is this her or is something else happening? No he knew she'd be here now so this must be her. I didn't expect her to be seven, but I'm getting used to things I don't expect happening since it seems to happen more often than I would expect it to.

"The day that Kudo Shinichi was poisoned a child that's too smart for his own good appears, looking just like Kudo Shinichi only ten years younger... it's not that much of a stretch," She answered coldly, "Though I probably wouldn't have realized if one of the lab rats hadn't shrunk as a result of the drug. You're lucky, the rest haven't realized it yet, I changed the records so that your death was confirmed. There is no doubt in my mind that you are Kudo Shinichi, you're not dead but thanks to me they at least think you are for the time being. Now tell me, who were you talking to and how do you know who I am?"

I sighed, "He's Kudo Shinichi."

She raised an eyebrow, "You're just talking to yourself then?"

"Technically... yes."

She took a moment to stare at me as if to say 'did the drug cause you to go absolutely insane?' and in all honesty I don't actually know how I would have answered that if she'd asked aloud, I ask myself the same question all the time. 'Is this all real or have I just gone mad?' I'll probably never know, so I'll probably be better off just believing it's real until a therapist tells me otherwise.

After about a minute had passed it began to feel awkward just standing out there in the street staring at each other so we mutually agreed to go to Hakase's house (where she apparently was staying).

I'd put the phone on speaker so that Shiharoku could explain to her that he was me from the future (and thereby make it clear that I wasn't just talking to myself) , which took him a while because she kept denying that it was possible, and as soon as that was over I was informed as to exactly who Sherry was.

Real name, Miyano Shiho. A girl who'd grown up working as a scientist for the Black Organization -though not completely by choice. She'd been the one who developed the poison that I'd been given (Apotoxin 4869, it was apparently called), but she'd betrayed the organization and they were going to kill her for it so she took her own poison planning to die on her own terms but shrank like me instead and came here because she had nowhere else to go. It sounded like something that belonged in a manga to me, but then again so did the current state or my life.

I knew that I probably shouldn't ask but I was curious so I did, "What made you betray them?"

"It was because of her sister," Shiharoku answered in a dull tone, not giving the girl a chance to answer herself, "Her sister Akemi was killed by Gin because she wasn't useful to the organization. He shot her a few months ago."

"You knew!?" She shouted, it probably made her feel a little bit better even if the feeling was only temporary, "You knew ahead of time when, where, and how Akemi would die, but you did nothing to stop it? Why?!"

"You told me once yourself that if Akemi hadn't been killed that you probably never would have had the guts to betray them," Shiharoku replied sounding casual and cruel.

"There is no reason then? You simply let her die because you knew I would come here if she did?"

The worst part was I thought it was true... knew it was true. Shiharoku didn't warn me that her sister would die because he needed her to come here, there's no other reason, no logical explanation besides just that. He knew that if Akemi died at that time then Shiho would be here at this time, and he let Akemi die for that purpose.

I was beginning to feel guilty enough as it was, even before she continued, " That's horrible! I had thought you would be a better person than that, that's why I came to you since I have nowhere else to go. But you're no better than a murderer, you're no better than them-"

When Shiharoku cleared his throat all eyes fell on my cell phone just in time to hear what he said next, "Akemi Miyano is alive."

I didn't doubt him. If he said that Akemi was still alive then she was probably still alive. She must've died in his timeline and this time around he arranged for her to live... I don't know how, but he's definitely capable.

"What are you saying?! She's dead, I've read the reports, Gin shot her-" Haibara lashed out not willing to hear whatever he was planning to say. He probably expected her to react like this, that's probably why he interrupted before she could say much else.

"The person he shot wasn't her, it was a very capable friend of ours disguised as her. Her death was completely faked. If we hadn't made it look like she'd died then the Organization would have kept coming after her, you know that as well as I do, there was no other choice."

I didn't have to ask what 'capable friend' he'd had to do that, who other than Kaitou Kid do I know that would be able to wear a disguise that could fool even the Black Organization. Besides Shiharoku had mentioned before that he'd had Kid make a major change for him, this must be what he was talking about, still he could have told me about this before now.

"So you arranged for her death to be faked because you knew that I would come here if I thought that she had died?" She asked, sounding somewhat skeptical. I suppose in her situation I would be skeptical too, it's not as if we'd given any proof that her sister was still alive, all she had to go on was our word alone.

"Exactly," Shiharoku responded sounding just as confident as he ever had, "Did you just want me to rescue her and leave you behind?"

The tension in the room increased tenfold, not that Shiharoku would have noticed as he was on the other end of a cellphone who knows how far in the future.

Haibara -I'm just going to call her that because it's less complicated that way- rolled her eyes, "I suppose you only made sure I'd be 'rescued' so that I would be able to help you?"

My future self let out a short laugh, "The opposite actually. It's be great if you wouldn't be needed."

She paused, not seeming sure of what to say to that, not that he gave her much time to say anything before he continued.

"I'd much rather have saved you from them so that you could live a happy life as Haibara Ai than just taken you from there to make you face everything that's ever appeared in your nightmares from the receiving end of a gun..." I could imagine him frowning as his tone changed just slightly to sound sterner, "I'm sorry but you'll have to be ready. I know enough that I can keep you out of danger but I really need you to be ready, because if I fail to reach a better future you're the only person I would trust to help me reach out to the past... if I fail then you're my only hope."

Haibara was obviously flustered, blushing a bit as she lashed back, "Wha-what are you talking about?!"

"The device I'm using to communicate with the past was invented by you," He replied, "You've also created temporary antidotes to Apotoxin 4869... they never lasted very long but it was always great to return to my proper age every one in a while."

I was so distracted by how nostalgic he was acting that I didn't even notice that he'd switched to past tense, some detective I am. I should have noticed then just how much his situation has changed since it was my own, not that I could have done anything even if I had noticed... still I should have at least asked.

"And you want me to do that again in this timeline?" Haibara asked, regaining her composure after her earlier slip up, "Create a device for sending messages through time and an antidote to Apotoxin 4869 just in case you can't succeed?"

"Yes."

"But if you don't succeed wouldn't that confirm that sending messages back in time isn't enough to make the kind of change you need? Wouldn't it be better to create a proper time machine to interfere with the past more directly?"

There was a pause, it seemed as if Shiharoku wasn't going to answer for a moment but then we heard a loud sigh come through the phone.

"Time travel... is much more complicated than you realize, it's..." He sounded as if he was struggling to come up with a way to explain what he was trying to say, eventually he continued, "Say I had a time machine and I went back in time to the day that Gin poisoned me and Shot him before he could do so; if such a thing as that happened then I -having directly caused a change that would alter fate- would enter a state of flux, there would be no connection between my original timeline and the timeline in which I had shot Gin, the future I live in would no longer exist because it had been changed and because I was a necessary part of that change rather than being deleted I would also be changed to fit the altered time. My memories- my very existence would change with every change I made in the past until I was no longer the same person I had been to begin with... do you understand what I'm saying?"

It was a lot of information to take in at once but I at least understood the basic concept that he was trying to relay, Haibara appeared to as well so I spoke up after a brief moment, "We understand..."

He continued what he'd been saying without missing a beat, "I of course am not using a time machine that allows direct interface with the past, but rather staying in my own timeline while trying to steer yours. My memories and timeline don't change when you make changes because this time has been deemed to be essential to your timeline so this line won't change. I will remain myself until the very end, and I-"

I cut him off, "But if your timeline won't change then why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to know that somewhere there exists a world that has managed to reach a happier ending than I have," He said bitterly, I could almost feel him staring at me with a hopeful gaze through the phone, "Because if ever world is like mine or his then there is no hope for the future."

There was silence as we just let those words sink in. He was willing to give up the possibility of changing his timeline so he could do a better job of directing another just so he would know that there was a happy ending out there? You have to admit he's got some serious resolve... what's happened to his world that's made him have to make this kind of decision?

"Your world or whose?" Haibara asked having picked up on a small slip up he'd made, she seemed curious but hesitated as if she believed that the answer might not be something she would want to hear.

"I've told you enough today as it is... the time for me to tell you is fast approaching, I'd just like to confirm a few things before I say anything more..."

And then he hung up, leaving Haibara and I with more questions than answers.


	11. Chapter 10

**Holy Crap! Got a lot of reviews on that last one! Awesome! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Please keep reviewing!  
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**Has it really been 10 (11 if you count the prologue, but I don't so you may as well not either) chapters? It has... well I like the number ten so what'dya say this chapter be a special one ta line some stuff up and give you guys a few much needed answers? Not like you have much choice, I'm giving a few answers in this one regardless of whether you want them or not. Also I might as well try and step up my not so hidden code a bit, I hope you don't mind it's not that much harder.  
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**Man this chapter was really hard to write so it turned out a bit short and certain bits may seem slightly incoherent, I blame my life- it's become much more complicated lately (and not always in a good way), I won't tell you why just understand that it has- so you should blame my life too. Well I hope you enjoy.  
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**chapter 10. clowns sTanding on tiptOe at the edge of a shadowy abyss  
**

He was pacing back and forth in the room, clutching his cellphone tightly in his hand as though his life depended on it, his face shifting from his conflicted look to a morbid expression.

Things weren't going the way he'd expected them to. He'd been attempting to lead the flow of events to secure a future where everything would turn out for the best but someone else had been altering things, and he knew exactly who it was that had to be manipulating time from behind his back.

Thinking back on it, it should have been obvious all along that it was her. The mysterious woman who shows no signs of aging even after twenty years, always lurking in the background with some kind of hidden agenda... who else could possibly have been the time traveler that had been meddling with consistency? The only real question is why she was doing it, what could a famous American actress possibly have to gain from working with a criminal organization and toying with the laws of cause and effect, but that was a question that the man couldn't answer no matter how hard he tried.

No matter what direction he came at the problem from there appeared to be no solution and gradually as he kept thinking the most opportune time for him to take action drew nearer and nearer, like a dark shadow looming behind him.

"They'll be meeting her soon... and they won't be ready," He said with a swallow, sounding almost frightened as he added the final bit, "But she will."

There was no reply. Only silence.

The silence had been entirely unexpected. He wandered aimlessly around the room for a while not entirely sure what he should do without a response to his vaguely dramatic statement, he began muttering something unintelligible under his breath as he continued to pace. Then all at once he stopped.

"Does that mean you know what she's planning?"

It was the same voice that asked, but with a completely different tone- definitely not the same person, not remotely. He was more childish but not so childish as to be mistaken for a child, he simply had less life experience than the man who had first spoke.

"Of course not," The first answered, he sounded a bit annoyed now, but at this point he was flipping between emotions like the pages of a book, "If I knew what she had planned I'd stop her... if I at least knew her goal I'd be able to put a plan together-"

The other interrupted him, "Then why not just ask her?"

"As if she'd ever give me a straight answer?" The first remarked, knowing that even if he did bother to try asking to woman in question would simply smile and utter her usual line. If what she says about secrets making women woman is true then she's the most womanly woman to ever walk the face of the Earth.

"She might," the other asked. His childish reasoning telling him that even if that person had probably never answered anything with a clear honest answer in their life they could change their mind and start telling the truth at any given moment without any reason at all- which, while possible was a theoretical improbability.

"She's never told me her reasons for anything before, why would she start now?" The first answered plainly pointing out the obvious flaw of the not-quite-child's reasoning, he seemed to ignore the other as he continued as if talking to himself, "I know there was a time that she fells a debt to me for saving her life once, and that she believed that I may have what it takes to bring the organization down... but she's saved my life several times since then and I haven't done much good in stopping them, she clearly has some other motive... something more meaningful..."

"Maybe she thinks it's fun watching you," the childish one mused. Even if he didn't believe that it could be the real reason but he'd always been told that anything is possible unless proven otherwise, the elder seeming one would have thought this kind of reasoning to be a step in the right direction if the younger didn't always use it to justify the most outlandish theories that could never be proven either way.

-Still it was_ somewhat_ reasonable.

The man thought about it for a moment. Could Vermouth have been keeping him alive simply because she enjoyed watching him run around in circles like a headless chicken... no way, who would put that much effort into saving someone's life just for kicks. There was no doubt that it had to be something more.

"No... no... it has to be something bigger than that, even she wouldn't save my life as many times as she has just for fun..." His expression twisted to a frown as he continued, "If I'm right and she's the time traveler that's been interfering then... I must do something in the future that she wants to be sure happens no matter what..."

That was the only sensible solution that he could think of.

If that was the case he definitely wanted to do everything within his power to make sure that he didn't do whatever it was she wanted him to do. If course that didn't help when he honestly had no idea what it could be that she wanted from him, it was that fact that had caused him to start pacing around the room to begin with.

The younger of the two seemed to realize that there would be no point in asking him what she could want from them. Instead he decided to ask a completely different question that he'd been wondering about for quite some time, which he did with all the curiosity and courage of a child walking into a (supposedly) haunted house.

"Ne Shinichi-niichan... which one did you lie to?"

The man in question twitched a bit at the mention of his real name, it'd been a long time since anyone besides the him in the past that he was looking after had called him that- though it was mostly his own fault as nearly everyone who had known him now thought he was dead- he'd grown so used to being called 'Shiharoku' along with various other nicknames and code names that his own name had begun to sound strange to him. It was just as weird for him that he was being called 'niichan' by someone who wasn't related to him by blood -not really- but knew him to well to justify actually having any real level of respect for him after everything the two had been through together over the past few years.

"Lie...? I beg your pardon?" Shiharoku asked after a strangely quiet moment, his eyebrow raised showing just how unsure he was of precisely what it was that the young boy was asking about- after all, it's not as if he never lied.

The boy smiled, feeling that perhaps he'd managed to get some important information out of his 'niichan' even though he had yet to do anything of the sort. He clarified his question with pride,"You told Ai-san that if you changed the past this future would disappear... but you told Chibi-niichan that it wouldn't... so who were you lying to?"

"So you caught me," he sighed. There was a long pause as the boy waited for him to answer, "As far as I know it's impossible for two alternate timelines to exist, for both to really be present at once one of them has to _not _exist, we will -more likely than not- completely disappear from everywhere but the memories of those we contacted in the past. I only told the younger me that we'd keep existing because he'd feel guilty if his actions erased our existences."

The young boy paused, pouting, "That's mean... you shouldn't lie. Especially not to yourself."

"We can't afford for him to hesitate to change the future, too much hesitation and nothing will cha-" Shiharoku started to say. He was interrupted by the boy before he could finish, though their voices never once overlapped, not even for a single second.

"-It's still mean," He stated blatantly, still pouting at his niichan.

"What would you know, Conan, you're only nine!" the elder detective shouted, having become slightly irritable with all the stress that had been building up in his life arguing with a 'child' was certainly not helping him to keep his sanity in tact, and he knew it too. He was perfectly aware that his mental health was falling to pieces around him with every passing day, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do to stop it, nothing but help his past self change the world before it was too late.

The accused eight year old -apparently called 'Conan'- did not take well to the accusation and retorted with a frown, "I'm seventeen!"

Shiharoku rolled his eyes, "Only physically. If we're going by physical age then both of us are seventeen, but you and I both know that we aren't the same."

Conan opened his mouth as if he was going to say something to Shiharoku's remark but clearly thought better of it and closed it without saying a word.

After several moments passed without either saying anything Shiharoku opened the cellphone that he'd been griping tightly in his hands throughout their entire conversation- the very phone that the two of them had been using to contact the past- and proceeded to type out a message. The faint beeping tone of the phone's buttons making the only noise in the room until Conan became completely overcome by his curiosity and asked what kind of message Shiharoku was sending this time.

Shiharoku smiled," It says: _Go to Haido city hotel, something is about to happen there, I've already arranged to handle most of it. Go alone or take Ai with you, but if you bring her make sure she doesn't leave your sight. At some point I want you to walk up to the actress Chris Vineyard and say 'Hello Sharon.' - K.S. & E.C._"

For a split second a smile began to stretch across Conan's face before it turned to a faint frown, "You're making Chibi-niichan confront _her_ directly?"

"Well not 'making' him confront her exactly... the final decision on what to do belongs to him. I'm _asking_ him to directly confront her,," Shiharoku explained, knowing that even if it was technically true that he was asking his younger self to do it the chances of him not doing it were very low so in all practicality he was making him do it, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from rationalizing that it was still the younger Shinichi's own choice, "I need to know how she'll react to him knowing something he shouldn't know yet, depending on her reaction I'll be able to tell whether or not she knows he's getting information from me, if we're lucky we'll even get a few clues as to what she's planning..."

"Won't it be dangerous?"

Shiharoku thought about it carefully before answering,"Hardly anything involving _them_ can be considered safe."

"If that's what you think then you shouldn't have joined _them_ Niichan," Conan pointed out, obviously worrying for Shiharoku as his frown grew a bit larger than it had been before.

Shiharoku's eyes narrowed, he knew where this was going, "_They_ won't kill me as long as _they_ still think I'm useful to _them_. Similarly Vermouth still has a purpose in mind for me so I doubt she'll do anything to him..."

It was clear from his reply that the younger boy wasn't satisfied with the answer, "Someday you'll have outlived your usefulness..."

"You think I don't know that?" Shiharoku sighed, "I won't be 'useful' to _them_ much longer so I intend to change the past while I still have the chance to do so. I'd rather disappear for the sake of a better future than be killed simply because I was no longer useful."

Conan looked as if he were about to reply but then didn't get the chance to say anything before Shiharoku interrupted him.

"Go to sleep Conan."

Conan frowned even more, but hesitantly proceeded to do as his 'niichan' had asked knowing that there would be no point in arguing.

Once he was alone Shiharoku pressed send on the message that he had composed before.


	12. Chapter 11

**Well now this one's got a lot of anticipation riding on it, after all the information I gave out in the last chapter... I get the feeling it'll turn out disappointing compared to what you all expect, but really this was all for the best (at least the chapter is long). I swear this plot is actually going somewhere and isn't just weird line running parallel to a mysterious line... there's a much more complex plot line than that (in fact I got bored in math class one day and tried to draw the plot I have in mind in a somewhat linear fashion and it proved to be completely impossible.) that's right, this story is complicated, if the title didn't give you the hint.  
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**This chapter is going to be a bit odd because for the most part this event in completely different than how it was in the original story line, for the most part this chapter is where Shinichi starts to get some doubts about blindly doing what Shiharoku says and Vermouth says some very important things.  
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**Also I know the 'code' I've been doing is really easy, but to do anything really interesting with the code I would have to spread it through the entire chapter, and that's to much effort when I'm already trying to use the right words to make it easy to understand what's going on but hard to predict what's coming in the story (even though I've already given enough information to guess who/what E.C./Conan is, and a good portion of the final twist...) so I'll just be lazy and keep my simple code~  
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**Well I hope you enjoy.  
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**chapTer 11. tHe ominous revelation of ratIonality'S coming downfall  
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I stared down at my phone. On the screen where the weirdest instructions that Shiharoku had given me yet.

**K.S. & E.C.:** _Go to Haido city hotel, something is about to happen there, I've already arranged to handle most of it. Go alone or take Ai with you, but if you bring her make sure she doesn't leave your sight. At some point I want you to walk up to the actress Chris Vineyard and say 'Hello Sharon.'_

The entire thing seemed strange in the first place. Why go to Haido city hotel? What was going to happen there? What did he mean he'd already arranged to handle most of it? Why shouldn't I let Haibara out of my sight if she comes with me? But perhaps the most concerning question to come to my mind was; why in the world should I call and American actress 'Sharon' if her name is 'Chris'?

He must have a reason for asking me to do something like that. I mean he was probably there back when whatever is going to happen was happening the first time. If bringing Haibara along means I need to be more careful then the Black Organization is probably involved, what would they be doing at Haido city hotel... something illegal no doubt. Still... why an actress? Better yet, just _why_ in general...

Wait... 'Chris Vineyard'... 'Sharon'... I think I may have heard that name before... no the one I've heard of is Sharon Vineyard, she was an actress too wasn't she, I met her at some point... that was back when went to visit my parents in New York, she was a friend of my mother and- no this is off topic, the person he mentioned was Chris Vineyard.

Could she be a member of the organization? I guess that's possible -perhaps even probable- but if that's the case then why didn't Shiharoku tell me to be careful because she was one of them or something like that- unless he thought that I would deduce that she was a member of the organization anyway...

Ugh this is annoying, I may as well ask directly. But then what should I ask, there are so many questions... I guess I should start at the beginning.

**Me:** _What happens at Haido city hotel?_

**K.S. & E.C.:**_ Which are you asking for, what happened, or what will happen?_

Good question. Do I want to know what happened when he was going through this or what will be happening this time around (considering he intends to change it)? What happened last time doesn't really matter much since it won't be the same, I'm better off knowing what will be happening if I go to Haido city hotel.

**Me:** _W__hat will happen.  
_

**K.S. & E.C.:** _I've changed enough that it won't be the same as before, I can't be sure what will happen if you do as I've asked you to but there's a very low chance of anyone being killed or injured._

Killed or injured? I mean sure I had already assumed I was going to be dealing with the Black Organization but what on Earth happened? Who was injured or killed? I'll ask him about that some other time..._  
_

**K.S. & E.C.:** _I know you must have more questions but in this scenario I'm a bit unsure exactly what will happen myself. As I said before I've done my best to arrange everything so that this event wouldn't end in any injury or death, and it's fine if you leave it at that and decide not to go, but I'm hoping that through what I've asked you to do we'll be able to get information that even I don't have right now. The choice is yours, but this is very important._

Information that Shiharoku doesn't have? Just when I was beginning to think he knew everything he pulls something like this one me... if the information he's hoping to get is as important as he seems to think it is then I really have no choice, I'm going to have to go.

**Me:**_ Alright I'll go._

I waited a moment to see if Shiharoku would reply but he didn't, I assumed that meant that the conversation was over.

Then I guess the only thing left to take care of is whether or not Haibara will be coming. For her own sake it's best to keep her away from anything involving the Black Organization... but I guess I should still ask her whether or not she wants to go, she can make her own decisions.

So I tried asking her and she seemed intent on going until I mentioned Chris Vineyard, but after that she seemed afraid to go (claiming to have had a dream in which the side effect of APTX4869 was discovered and the organization beat me and the shonen tantei up and took her to a gas chamber), maybe even afraid to let me go. Naturally I still intended to go no matter what she said about it being too dangerous but she of course would not be going because it seemed like that was the best option.

Now then, I'm sure you're tired of me talking about my plans, I'm sure you'd much rather me just go ahead and go to the hotel already. Fine, we'll just skip the rest of the planning stage, I didn't really do much anyway.

Having arrived at Haido city hotel I quickly realized that was supposed to be some kind of memorial meeting or something and that there was supposed to be a slide show presentation.

Apparently the event that had originally occurred here on this day was an assassination by the Black Organization that Shiharoku had been unable to stop which through some odd twist resulted in Haibara's being kidnapped by Pisco (a member of the organization) and using paikaru to escape only to be cut off by Gin and Vodka on the roof, Shiharoku managed to save her but was unable to save Pisco who was killed by Gin for having had his picture taken while killing their target. Of course knowing all of this was fundamentally meaningless as the event that alerted Gin to my (or Haibara's though she isn't with me this time) hadn't occurred and Shiharoku had already arranged for their target not to appear at the hotel and somehow devised a way to cover all the tracks so the Organization would believe that he had been killed by Pisco.

My only business here was to walk up to Chris Vineyard and greet her as 'Sharon'.

Seems simple enough. Right?

She was pretty easy to find, of course it wouldn't be that difficult to find an American actress in a crowd of random high class people. I'd searched her on the internet before coming so I would know what she looks like (after all it would be extremely embarrassing to do this to the wrong person).

And so at last I came to the moment of truth, all I had to do was call an actress by the wrong name and then tell Shiharoku how she reacted later, sure there's definitely more to it than that but that's all it is on the surface, I don't know why I'm doing this only that it will be able to help Shiharoku in some way.

Alright, here it goes.

"Hello Sharon," I said, keeping up the childish facade just in case.

Chris Vineyard -no Sharon- stopped for a fraction of a second just to look down at me before a staged smile crept across her face, "It's rude to call a person by a name that you know isn't theirs, Shinichi."

Of course that would be her response, if you just walk up to a person and call them the wrong name anyone would would simply point out that you made a mistake an- hold on a minute, did she just call me 'Shinichi'?

Does she know who I am? How could she possibly know who I am? Maybe she really is with the black organization... but then why am I not dead if she knows who I am? Ugh, why didn't Shiharoku warn me about this? ...Shiharoku probably just thought it was implied... he really should have told me what to expect.

"But you messed up my name too onee-chan, I'm 'Edogawa Conan' not 'Shinichi'," I stated, trying to sound like I really was just a cute little even year old and totally believed what I was saying.

She didn't seem convinced as her smile grew wider, "So I did, I'm sorry, Conan-kun."

The actress then told the people she had been talking to when I'd walked up that my mother was a friend of her's and that she was going to call my mom to make sure she knew I was here- which was of course a complete lie she was just using as an excuse so she could go up to the roof with me so we could have a confrontation of sorts.

After several moments of staring at each other in the snow she was the one who broke the silence.

"You and I aren't that different you know."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that so I just stood there without saying anything in hope that she would elaborate on her statement. Unfortunately for me she didn't and instead moved on to a completely different and possibly random topic.

"How much has he told you about us?" She asked. It seemed like she had more motive than just curiosity in asking, but it still didn't really seem to be especially purposeful.

"Not very much," I replied, deciding to keep my responses vague just in case she was actually fishing for information.

She smirked as though I was playing right into her hands, "Oh, so he hasn't told you our goal yet?"

"No," I frowned, I had just assumed that he didn't know their goal or that it was something generic like taking over the world and he didn't really feel the need to tell me... is she implying that it's something important? If it's important he would have told me right?

She crossed her arms, greatly increasing the smugness of the look she was giving, "Has he at least given you our name?"

"No..." I answered. He'd called them the Black Organization once or twice but every now and then he would just call them 'them' which hinted that they weren't truly called the Black Organization... but he'd never told me their true name. What did it matter anyway, the more information I knew about them the more likely I am to die.

Still the way she keeps saying '_our_' is somewhat unsettling.

"Then has your friend told you anything about our leader?"

There's that 'our' again... Shiharoku had only ever mentioned the Black Organization's member to me once, he'd referred to the leader as 'Anokata' so I've pretty much assumed that he doesn't know who 'Anokata' is because he'd probably have been clearer on that and either used a name or just said 'their leader'... still Shiharoku seems to enjoy keeping me in the dark.

I hesitated a bit before answering, "... No."

"Then you know almost nothing about us," She chuckled, pausing a moment as I gave a deject nod, she continued, "Do you want to know about us Silver bullet-kun?"

What on Earth is she doing?! Is she offering me information on a secret criminal organization that she's a part of? And what's with the 'Silver Bullet-kun' thing?

I nodded again and she spoke up again, "Then I'll tell you something that your other self in the future doesn't know... or maybe he does and just refuses to admit it to himself..."

She paused for a moment, the tension building with every second.

Something that Shiharoku doesn't know? I guess stuff like that is common enough but he always acts like he knows everything that's going on. I wonder what it is she's going to tell me...

I was too lost in thought to realize that as she paused she'd pull out a gun and was now pointing it right at me.

"If I killed you right now, then our organization won't be able to exist."

Again with the 'our'... What does she even mean by that anyway? The organization already exists, killing me wouldn't make it unable to exist... that's just theoretically impossible. She must have just said that to confuse me...

She was still smiling, "You can go ahead and tell that to your friend if you'd like, or don't if you'd rather keep it from him for now since I'm sure he's keeping plenty from you."

Yeah he does seem to be keeping a lot of information from me but that's just because it's stuff that I don't need to know right? There's no way he wouldn't tell me something if it was important... right? Then again... he didn't warn me about Chris/Sharon at all, that's pretty substantial evidence that he doesn't really mind completely keeping me in the dark about pretty important matters...

I found myself reaching for my cellphone in my pocket, but not actually doing anything with it. Should I tell Shiharoku all of what she just said? This is probably the kind of information -if not more- he was hoping for when he sent me to do this. Still it doesn't seem like this information would be useful in any way.

"Of course if he's still focused on his original goal right now then the best course of action for him would be just to politely ask you to commit suicide," Chris/Sharon continued to speak, "Then our organization wouldn't exist and most of the people who've lost their lives because of it would still be alive, sure there would be a pretty serious paradox involved and Angel would have to find some way to live without you but all in all it would be a fairly happy ending for almost everyone."

Why do I get the feeling that there's probably a lot more to this than what she's telling me? I mean who's 'Angel' and what 'original purpose' is she talking about?

Still it's possible that she's just making this all up to just to mess with me, from what I've seen that seems like something she would do.

I finally gathered enough curiosity to break my streak of silence, replying to one of her obscure statements, "And what proof do I have that you're telling me the truth?"

After a few seconds had passed she spoke up, "That's why you're the Silver Bullet...," She laughed for a moment before falling silent. Eventually she answered me, "If you're still alive next time we meet then I'll show you something interesting."

Without giving me a chance to say anything in return she walked away leaving me alone on the roof. I didn't bother following her, if she wanted to get away I had no doubt that she would be able to outrun me (considering my size) or find someway to mingle into the crowd.

I pulled the cellphone that I'd been holding tightly out of my pocket and looked at it blankly for a moment.

What would I do if I told him what she said and he actually asked me to commit suicide for the greater good... I mean I know that I wouldn't want to kill anyone but if killing one person can save countless I'm not sure what I would do (of course I still don't intend to kill myself but still...) . Not to mention that even if I died he still has Kaitou Kid that he can get to change the past for him.

Who knows how everything that's happened to Shiharoku has changed him since this time period, he might be so desperate for a better future that he wouldn't mind killing a few people to reach it. He knows what event's will happen when, if he really wanted to he could probably send me into some ridiculous situation completely unprepared if he wanted me dead... I've just been blindly doing whatever he's asked me to... I mean for all I know he's not even actually me just some other random guy in the future that's using my name or something...

"So... What am I going to do..." I sighed. I wasn't sure. Should I tell him everything she had and trust him? Should I just ignore him altogether and just help Haibara look for a way to turn me back to normal? Should I just not tell him and keep going as I have been but think more carefully about what he asks me to do?

I typed up a text message, thinking long and hard about whether or not it was the right thing to do before pressing send.

**Me:** _She smiled and chided me saying that her name is 'Chris' not 'Sharon' then she called me 'Shinichi'._

The reply was immediate as though he had been standing by waiting for hours for me to give him this report.

**K.S. & E.C.:**_ She really called you 'Shinichi'?_

**Me:** _Is there something odd about that?_

I had already thought that it was a bit odd but if that's the first thing he picked up on then it must be more odd than I initially thought.

**K.S. & E.C.:** _Yes, very odd. As far as I'm aware Vermouth has always called 'me' by the name 'Silver Bullet-kun' in any timeline... to be calling you 'Shinichi' is strange._  
_Perhaps the Vermouth that you talked with was a her from before she'd begun to call me/you 'Silver Bullet-kun', but then there are a few inconsistencies in the order of events... and even still it wouldn't make much sense that she knew that you were indeed 'Kudo Shinichi'._

I got the felling that the last part wasn't so much his attempt to explain anything about this situation to me but rather just him subconsciously writing his own train of thought into the message, otherwise he probably wouldn't have said so much.

For a moment I was tempted to tell him that she had not long after that refereed to me as 'Silver Bullet-kun' but then that would make it clear that more happened than what I'd told him (which would make him suspicious if he wasn't already). So I shrugged and continued to reply as though the only response I had received was what I'd already mentioned to him.


	13. Chapter 12

**okay, who's ready for me to further screw up this timeline... er these timelines... they were already kinda screwed up it's just probably going to become clear just how screwed up they are pretty soon...  
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**Well I hope you enjoy.  
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**chaPter 12. pOInt of No reTurn, endLEsS impaSse  
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I was beginning to become quite worried. Of course I had every right to be worried -or at least believed I did-, what with Shiharoku hiding who-knows-what from me, Sharon/Chris having told me that if I died now then the Black Organization would never end up existing, the general situation of being stuck in this seven year old body as 'Edogawa Conan' while Ran continued to worry more and more about 'Kudo Shinichi'.

As if that wasn't enough I'd done such a stupid thing as try to hide what Sharon/Chris told me from Shiharoku when it probably would have been useful information for him. Why would I even do that? Thinking back on it all of this seems completely pointless, there was probably an easier way to do all of this but that doesn't really matter now… I personally have no means of changing the past nor do I want to talk about this with the me that does.

In my uncertainty I decided to ask Haibara for her opinion on Shiharoku, in case she could tell me any reason besides my apparent trust in him that she might feel that she could trust him.

"He saved my sister," She replied coldly.

Right, I forgot about that, he did save her sister's life... But isn't it possible that he only did that because it would make her want to help him or possibly to make her feel the need to return the favor? The fact that he saved her doesn't mean that he has good intentions.

I tried mentioning as much to Haibara.

"It doesn't really matter to me whether or not he has good intentions, he saved her and that's what matters. It's not as if I have anywhere else to go," The little mad scientist said pointedly, "Why is it you're suddenly so intent on not trusting him? Has something happened between you two?"

I suppose that makes sense... it's not like she really has any reason to trust me -much less some guy from the future claiming to be me- she just has no where else to go that wouldn't likely result in her death... well she didn't really seem like the trusting type anyway.

I saw no reason to hide what Chris/Sharon had said to me from her so I went ahead and told her hoping to get her opinion on the matter.

"...and so I came to the conclusion that Shiharoku isn't really telling me anything, so I'm trying to figure out if I actually have any reason to be trusting him," I concluded my long winded explanation.

My hopes that she would be able to provide some sort of amazing insight were instantly thrashed with one simple sentence, "If he was going to kill you he would have done it by now."

I paused for a moment before replying, "Well... yeah, but what if he doesn't know that if I die then the organization won't exist?"

"Think about it from a logical perspective; if what she said is true then something that you will do in the future is what causes those that you call the Black Organization to exist, it obviously involves time travel as_ they_ already exist. It would be just as simple of a solution to just kill me, after all I'm supposedly the person who invents means of time travel or communicating across time," She sighed, "I have no intention of allowing my self to die when I don't even know if it will achieve any actual purpose and I doubt you would either, nor do I believe any future you would lead you to do the same without good reason."

Without giving me time to reply she continued explaining exactly why she thought I was being stupid.

"Besides if killing you would prevent _their_ existence then it would be impossible for you to have been killed as Edogawa Conan because your current form is something that happened as a result of _their _actions, therefore if you couldn't have been killed then _they_ would exist! It's a 'Grandfather's Paradox'," Haibara said sounding intrigued by the whole ordeal, she probably wanted to test some of what she was saying so it wouldn't just be theoretical knowledge but hopefully she wasn't actually going to try, "Not to mention that the fact you have a 'future self' means that you shouldn't die at this point in time."

"I guess..." I replied, but I wasn't actually sure about it. I mean based on what Shiharoku told me before then the world will probably just branch into a world where I died which would exist separately from the current one, the Black Organization would still exist in this world but it wouldn't in the other... right?

Actually... that doesn't really make much sense at all.

If there are different timelines that are all running parallel then what he's trying to do doesn't actually make any sense. I mean if my timeline is different than his it's possible that I would have had a 'happy ending' even if he hadn't interfered, there's really no way of knowing. But maybe he was lying about all that.

Considering that he can still communicate with me from where he is in the future maybe changing time is like taping over a video, the effects simply haven't reached him yet because that part hasn't been taped over yet. That would make sense but it's pretty useless speculating like this when I doubt he'd confirm or deny my theory if I ever brought it up.

Haibara was looking at me as if she was trying to decided if this conversation was actually going to go anywhere, she sighed, "If you're that worried that K.S. is lying to you or out to get you... or whatever it is you're worried he might be up to then why don't you just try asking E.C.? From what I've seen of him he's relatively childish so he's probably not involved if K.S. is actually up to anything, right?"

That's right, E.C doesn't really seem to be capable of the kind of manipulative and deceptive things that I think Shiharoku could be doing, in fact most of what I know about the two of them was taken from the conversations I've had with him so by talking to him I actually have a better chance of getting to the truth of the matter.

...unless he's part of the deception. They have the same voice, for all I know E.C. isn't actually a person and is just Shiharoku acting childish so that if such a time as now when I don't completely trust him comes along he'll be able to use the idea of E.C to assure me that he is indeed a good person that's just trying to protect the future or whatever.

Wow that sounds paranoid... if I don't do something about all this weird deception then I'm going to wind up going crazy.

I try to act casual as I reply, "I guess talking to him couldn't make things any worse."

...

Shiharoku was pacing again; he'd been doing so a lot lately, so often that it was becoming a nervous habit of his to pace whenever he was thinking about anything especially perplexing.

He knew that something more than what his younger counterpart had said must've happened that night at Haido city hotel, because Vermouth was bound to have done more than just reprimand him for having called her by the wrong name using the name 'Shinichi' to refer to him, the problem is that there was no way for him to learn what had really happened unless the younger him chose to give him the information voluntarily. Unfortunately it wasn't very likely that would happen any time soon. If his temporal variant had suddenly decided to start keeping secrets from him then it was quite likely that Vermouth had said something to make his younger self no longer entirely trust him… but what?

There were plenty of things Shiharoku could think of that Vermouth could have said to cause the young Shinichi to lose faith in him. The fact that he'd given nothing to prove that he was indeed Kudo Shinichi rather than just some random guy from the future. The fact that he was intentionally asking his younger self face down dangerous situations with little forewarning. The near countless times he'd already failed to achieve his own goal. Or perhaps the fact that he himself had joined the organization that they were working to take down, not that he didn't have good reasons for doing so.

Above all else the fact that he'd made it a point to not give his past self information that he wouldn't need. He had no excuse for having done so. The paradox that would be caused in giving such information didn't scare him in the slightest, if anything it would be incentive for doing so as it would bring him that much closer to achieving his goal of replacing his present with a better future. So why did Shiharoku find himself giving so little information to his own past self?

The answer is quite simple: there were some things he didn't want to have to say, because saying it would be the same as admitting to himself –past and present- that it was the truth. That was something he just couldn't stand to do.

It didn't help that the younger Shinichi's distrust was likely justified, he had every right to not trust Shiharoku but if it was Vermouth who prompted the distrust then he may begin to trust Vermouth more than his so-called future self. Shiharoku worried about that possibility more than anything else.

He was tempted to directly confront his past self on the matter, if for no other reason to tell him that he knew something more had to have happened, and possibly to warn him that Vermouth wasn't someone that could be trusted without reason even though he wouldn't be seeing her again for a while. However taking such an action would be pointless, if 'Shinichi' had taken to not trusting Shiharoku then it would be a complete waste of time for Shiharoku to saying anything of importance to 'Shinichi' now of all times.

"Why don't you just send a message back to before Chibi-niichan went to Haido city hotel and tell him that Vermouth is an evil lady that lies a lot?" Conan asked, thinking it to be a pretty good plan. He had been pacing along with Shiharoku trying to see if he could find a solution to the problem that seemed to be vexing his 'niichan'.

"I've already told you I can't do that," Shiharoku sighed in response, he'd already explained to Conan several times how the phone worked but for whatever reason it always seemed to go in one ear and out the other, "This phone can only send things exactly ten years into the past of a timeline that seems to be running parallel to this one. And even if I could send a message to him at that point it likely wouldn't make enough of a difference to significantly change the current situation."

The younger boy pouted, "Oh… right…"

Now understanding –at least for the moment- that there was no way to send anything future into the past than ten years Conan couldn't think of any way for Shiharoku to gain back the trust of the small Shinichi.

Conan didn't even seem to completely understand what it was that Shiharoku had done wrong to make his Chibi-niichan upset. Even by concentrating all his attention on it Conan saw no problems in Shiharoku's actions, but in his focus he did manage to come up with what seemed to be a reasonable idea.

"I know!" Conan exclaimed, "Why don't I talk to Chibi-niichan and tell him you aren't a bad guy?"

Shiharoku didn't see the need to point out just how silly that idea sounded; it would be difficult for someone so childish to win back 'Shinichi's trust in Shiharoku, who would believe the word of a 'child' that works together with someone they've already deemed to be untrustworthy… but if 'Shinichi' had managed to deduce who Conan was then maybe the child's plan would actually have a chance- or perhaps less of one for that matter.

But perhaps such a silly idea is exactly what's needed in this situation.

"Fine, try to talk some sense into him," Shiharoku said, half laughing at the notion that this was likely the best chance he had of winning back the trust of his temporal counterpart, "Just say whatever you think is right."

Conan smiled, feeling proud that Shiharoku seemed to think his plan was a good idea even if it was simply for lack of any better alternatives. He nodded, "I'll do my best!"


	14. Chapter 13

**I thought about doing this chapter as just a message log, but it's probably better with random narration interrupting in between messages.  
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**Finding a chapter title that would fit the next word in the sentence was difficult, long words lead to stupid chapter titles... there are seven more words planned so assuming I don't come up with an awesome twist and have no choice but to continue the story will end there  
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**Well I hope you enjoy. Please review~  
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**chapteR 13. thE Path to rEconciliaTIon Through understandIng Other's iNtentions  
**

With the intention of sending a message to talk to Cool Kid I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket, but I wasn't sure what I was going to say. Just starting out with 'can I speak to E.C.' would make it clear that I didn't want to talk to Shiharoku, but what could I say that would seem casual? Maybe I could just go with a basic greeting and hope I'm lucky enough that Shiharoku is asleep or something, with my luck I doubt that would be the case and I would have to ask to talk to E.C. and that would just be suspicious...

As if to spite me all of that worrying was completely meaningless. Within moments my cellphone buzzed to show that I had just received a message.

**K.S. & E.C.: **_Hello Niichan._

**Me: **_Cool Kid, I presume?_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_That's right. How did you know?_

**Me: **_4869 doesn't call me 'Niichan'._

Someone wouldn't call their own past self 'Niichan', it wouldn't make any sense at all, because being my future self he was definitely older than me. I couldn't help but wonder how old 'cool kid' was, he always seems kind of childish but he has mature moments at times too.

**K.S. & E.C.:**_Oh yeah, he doesn't!_

**Me:**_Yeah… so um I guess if you're messaging me then 4869 is asleep or busy right now?_

Every time that E.C. had messaged me before he'd always said that Shiharoku was asleep, except for one time when he'd said that Shiharoku was busy 'thinking', so it was a reasonable assumption.

**K.S. & E.C.:**_Nope, he's here with me right now… did you want to talk to him? I can go away if you do._

**Me:**_No, actually I had wanted to talk to you._

**K.S. & E.C.:**_Ah-re? Really? What did you want to talk about?_

It'd be stupid to just ask outright, there's still the chance that E.C. is just an act or that he'll just tell Shiharoku whatever I tell him right away, maybe I should ask something else first. If I can figure out what kind of relationship those two have then I'll know if I can trust E.C. or not.

**Me:**_I was just wondering why you're so close to 4869?_

**K.S. & E.C.:**_We really don't have a choice._

Again with just giving vague answers, is it some kind of future manners to answer questions by giving as little information as possible? Is that why they can't just give me a straight answer, are they trying to be future-polite? If so then I hate future manners.

What on Earth does that even mean? They don't have any choice about being close? Everyone has a choice about being close to someone else, even if someone tries to force you into a relationship you won't really be 'close' if you don't make some effort yourself.

**Me: **_What do you mean?_

**K.S. & E.C.:**_I mean that we can't not be close._

**Me:**_That's not really what I meant…_

**K.S. & E.C.:**_Then what did you mean?_

This isn't getting anywhere any time soon... I give up.

**Me:**_Never mind, just forget I asked._

**K.S. & E.C.:**_Oh, okay then. Oh I almost forgot, I texted you because 4869-niichan thinks that something happened at Haido city hotel and that you don't trust him anymore, but I think he's just being paranoid like Ai-san._

He realized I wasn't trusting him? How'd he figure that out? I guess I've been acting a bit differently but really it shouldn't have been enough for him to catch on... but I guess if he's me he probably had an idea of what should have happened on that night and when what I said happened was so different from what he expected he started keeping an eye on me more closely.

**Me: **_Really? What made him think that?_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_The way you've been acting I think._

What am I supposed to say to that?

Maybe 'I haven't been acting strange' or perhaps just tell him what happened and end the charade. Yeah, the second one is probably the better response, it's pointless to hide information from him if he suspects that I'm hiding information.

**K.S. & E.C.: **_Why aren't you answering? Was he right?  
If you tell me I won't tell 4869-niichan unless it's really important!_

**Me**_**:**__ I guess there's no reason to keep hiding it if he's already suspicious of me. Yes, Sharon/Chris/Whatever-her-name-is said some things that made me start to question 4869._

**K.S. & E.C.:**_What did she say?_

**Me: **_She told me that if I was killed then the Black Organization wouldn't be able to exist._

**K.S. & E.C.:**_Did she say anything else?_

**Me:**_She mostly asked me what I knew about the Organization, she kept using 'our' when she mentioned it but she didn't really say much._

**K.S. & E.C**_.: If she really said 'our' then I think she was really talking to me._

That doesn't make any sense. Why is it directed at him if she said 'our' it doesn't make any real difference does it?

**Me: **_Why would she have been talking to you?_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_This is 4869 by the way, I took over when you said that she told you they wouldn't be able to exist if you died.  
In any case because she said 'our' she means herself and I, then it's possible that her statement about if you were to die was actually directed at me. My death would prevent their existence._

**Me: **_I'm relatively sure that particular statement was directed at me._

**K.S. & E.C.: **_Why is that?_

**Me: **_She was pointing a gun at me as she said it._

**K.S. & E.C: **_Is that true?_

**Me: **_Yes._

**K.S. & E.C.: **_That's odd. Do you think she would have shot?_

She's a member of the Black Organization, why wouldn't she have shot? I mean she didn't shoot or do anything that implied she would shoot (besides obviously pulling out the gun) so it was probably just to point out that she could kill me easily if she'd wanted to, but what's so strange about a member of the Black Organization pretty much threatening to shoot me?

**Me: **_I think she just was using the gun to make the point, but what's odd about it? Does she usually not use a gun or something?_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_No, that's not it, it's just that she's actually saved my life several times so I find it strange that she would want think to kill you.  
What's so different between your timeline and mine that she would want to take your life while saving mine?_

**Me: **_Haibara suggested that if my death could cause them to not exist that an action I take in the future is what causes them to exist._

**K.S. & E.C.: **_Or an action that I take._

**Me: **_But if I'm the one whose death can prevent it then shouldn't I be the one who commits the act that either purposely or accidentally leads to their creation?_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_Not necessarily.  
Your death would be a very important event that would cause a huge amount of divergence between your timeline and mine, divergence that significant could result in the complete erasure of my timeline's existence. Aside from the memories of those involved in the change all semblance of my timeline would no longer exist, including -of course- actions taken by me within this timeline._

So he was lying about the effect that changing the past has on the future, I wonder why he was lying... oh well that's not important. Basically he's saying that a certain amount of change will cause his 'present' to not exist. I guess that's relatively serious, but none of that would have technically happened since it won't 'exist'. How does he even know about all this?

**Me: **_How would that work? Do you mean that if I die then none of what's happening now will have happened?_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_It will have happened but there would be no evidence of it, the messages themselves will cease to have existed but you would still be able to remember that this conversation happened –though the information wouldn't serve you very well seeing as you would be dead in that scenario._

**Me: **_I think I understand now.  
Why don't we just stop time traveling? If one of us is going to do something that causes the Black Organization to exist there would have to be some time travel involved because they must have already existed for a while now. If we don't time travel then it won't wind up existing._

**K.S. & E.C.: **_That would be practical but not perfect. One of our actions might not directly cause them to exist, it's just as possible that by doing something either of us wouldn't even think twice about we could inspire the person who becomes Anokata to found the organization, perhaps even something as simple as a casual comment about a 'perfect crime'. Not to mention that Vermouth seems to have already achieved perfect time travel._

**Me: **_Speaking of Anokata, who is he/she? What are they after anyway?_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_I'm actually not sure who Anokata is, I have some suspicious but I've never seem or met him in person. I have talked to him on the phone once or twice but I'm no closer to knowing who he is than you are.  
As for their goal I've come to believe they're looking for a way to bring the dead back to life or grant immortality._

That's kind of random but I guess it sort of makes sense, but where does apotoxin4869 tie into all of this?

**Me: **_What led you to think that?_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_There's a lot of evidence that suggests that's what they're after but the most convincing was something that Vermouth had said herself "We can be both of God and of the Devil as we are trying to raise the dead against the stream of time."_

I thought for a moment, analyzing the words carefully, I tried to think of every way that the statement could be interpreted… and then a strange thought hit me.

**Me: **_Weird…_

**K.S. & E.C.: **_Yeah, she was a bit over dramatic with her phrasing there, but it doesn't leave much room for other possibilities in their goal.  
_

**Me: **_No, that's not it. It's just that you're trying to do the same thing._

**K.S. & E.C.: **_How do you figure?_

**Me: **_Isn't that kind of the same as what you're trying to do? "Raise the dead against the stream of time"? Doesn't that sound that pretty similar to what you're doing by changing the past so that certain people didn't die? Resurrecting the dead by going against time?  
_

I waited for a while but there was no response.


	15. Chapter 14

**Another chapter that will be going over an early DC case, Sorry I know it's kinda boring when I do that, but a certain person needed to show up before I can continue into other matters. It's going to be a very short chapter, and it'll probably seem completely useless...  
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**Thanks for reading, as always please review~  
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**chApter 14. growiNg closer to the mYstery as the Mystery grOws fuRthEr away  
**

Shiharoku hadn't contacted me at all after my conversation with him and Cool Kid about what had really happened on the night that I'd talked to Chris/Sharon/Vermouth, at first I had assumed there was simply nothing to say, but as time wore on I began to think that perhaps the device he'd been using to contact me had been broken. Maybe he'd decided that my idea to quit time traveling was a good idea so he just quit contacting me. I can't be sure what the true reason for the discontinued contact was so there's no point in dwelling on it.

Weeks or months had passed, time seemed to blur together and I didn't care enough to try keeping track of it anymore. I just went on with my normal life as 'Edogawa Conan' and continued to do the 'sleeping Kogoro' thing.

At some point a new English teacher appeared at Teitan High School, I met her for the first time at an arcade, it wasn't until much later that I found out who she truly was but that's a story for another time.

The entire encounter was relatively plain; we saw her at the arcade, a murder happened, I used Sonoko to solve it, end of story. It was what she said at the end that piqued my interest, as we were walking away she'd said to Ran and Sonoko 'Goodbye, I'll see you at school tomorrow,' but to me she'd said something completely different;

"Bye bye, Cool guy."

At the time it seemed kind of strange but I didn't actually pay it any mind, it wasn't until the second time we met that I began to suspect that she was more involved than she had seemed at first.

I had gotten onto a bus with Agasa-hakase and the rest of the Shonen Tantei Dan with the intention of going skiing. It wasn't long before Jodie-sensei and Araide-sensei came onto the bus and Haibara apparently sensed a black organization vibe coming from one of them and immediately asked me to switch seats with her so she could hide.

When Jodie-sensei realize I was there she said, "Oh! Cool Kid! We meet again."

That caught my attention. 'Cool Kid' was E.C.'s codename, so why was a high school English teacher calling me 'Cool Kid'? Is she in someone that Shiharoku had been texting and she's mistaking me for E.C. like Kaitou Kid had? No if that were the case why would she be calling me Cool Kid in front of everyone... I must be missing something. But what?

As I continued to wonder why it was that she was calling me by that name a pair of robbers had come onto the bus. I figured it would be best to handle the current situation before I went about trying to figure out what connection Jodie-sensei had to all of this.

I soon deduced that they already had a partner on the back of the bus that was relaying mine and the rest of the passengers movements, and it didn't take me very long to find out which one and how they were doing it.

After that it was a relatively simple matter to solve; I asked Jodie-sensei if I could use some of her lipstick -which I used to make a sign telling the bus driver to stop, he stopped quickly catching the robbers off guard. In the confusion one of the robbers had accidentally triggered the timer for the bombs that they had set but there was still plenty of time to get everyone off the bus.

Haibara had tried to stay on the bus in some sort of self-righteous suicide attempt but I stopped her sustaining some injuries of my own in the process but rather than going to the hospital I stayed behind and sent her on so that she could get away from the Black Organization member that she had sensed.

"Oh, Cool Kid!" Jodie-sensei said, catching me off guard as she came up from behind me, "When you broke the glass to save that girl you were just like James Bond!"

There she goes again calling me 'Cool Kid', why is it that she called me 'Cool Guy' the first time we met but it's been 'Cool Kid' ever since? What's changed between these two meetings? There must be some kind of purpose to it.

"The real 007 is Jodie-sensei," I said calmly, keeping up my little kid facade just in case I was wrong about her being involved in everything, "You had activated the safety on the criminal's gun when you were pretending to apologize to him, right?"

In turn she kept up her facade, playing the part of a 'typical' American, "Oh Yes! I did it just like in the movies!"

I guess if I want to get anything out of her I'll have to give a little in return. I pondered for a moment whether or not it was worth the risk but ultimately my curiosity won out.

"Who exactly are you, Jodie-sensei?" I asked, taking down my facade to make it clear that I was completely serious.

She looked a bit surprised for a moment but then she smiled as she answered, "A secret makes a woman, woman."

Crap, she's really not going to tell me anything, time for a different approach, "Would you at least tell me why you call me 'Cool Kid'?"

Again she seemed surprised, but it was different this time, she didn't seem quite as on guard, her answer was probably honest, "Because you are a cool kid."

"Thank you," I replied even though it had gotten me almost nowhere in my reasoning. If there had been any chance of getting any more information from her it was foiled as Araide-sensei came up to us and soon noticed the wound on my arm, he insisted that I get it treated right away.

With nothing better to do I continued to ponder Jodie-sensei's answer.

Was it just a coincidence that she was calling me by E.C.'s codename, or is this something more... could this be where the codename 'Cool Kid had originally come from? If that's the case wouldn't E.C. have to be 'Edogawa Conan'? That's impossible because I'm Conan and K.S. is my future self... unless they're both future me(s)- it's reasonable that with time travel involved there could be more than one, but then E.C.'s childish demeanor doesn't make any sense...

I suppose I really can't dismiss the possibility that it was all just a coincidence but I don't think that's the case, this is to much to have happened by chance. Jodie-sensei has some relation to the situation with the Black Organization, I'm sure of it.

Exactly what is going on here?


	16. Chapter 15

**Sorry that the lead in is so similar to the previous chapter *sweatdrop* there just wasn't much else to say besides that time had passed and there was no contact from 4869 and Cool Kid... In any case the biggest divergence from the original timeline starts in this chapter, you'll probably realize what's happened right away...  
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**This chapter was really hard to write... I'm not really sure why... I even had to go watch the episode to be sure I wasn't getting useless summary details wrong. I guess maybe I'm just excited about writing the chapter that comes after this one, I randomly started on it while I was still working on this chapter and it got half done before this one did so you'll probably be seeing it within five days  
**

**Thanks for reading, as always please review~  
**

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**chapter 15****. **** Pieces start to falL togEther As a promiSe is kEpt **

Time continued to pass and Shiharoku had yet to contact me again. I'd be lying to say that I wasn't concerned.

Had he simply stopped contacting me because he didn't think it would do any good? Perhaps there had been enough divergence that his timeline no longer existed… though I doubt that could be the case because my cell phone still has the record of our last conversation saved. Maybe… just maybe he's died, but then Cool Kid would have probably gotten in touch with me…

I knew that worrying and trying to come up with reasons and excuses that my enigmatic future self and his comrade (possibly also a future self of mine) may have for having not contacted me in the past few months was at base useless. It at least made me feel as if I was doing something besides simply waiting for a message that may never come, so that's what I did when I had free time in which to think, I had countless trains of thought similar to the paragraph above but ultimately none made enough sense that I accepted them as the truth.

In the end there was nothing I could really do besides wait until something happened but for the longest time nothing did. Sure plenty of things had happened, cases came and went, I even had a few run ins with the Black Organization (even the one in which I heard the words that Shiharoku had told me Vermouth had said) but nothing that happened during that time seemed important enough to be recorded here. Nothing that could be conected or traced back to Shiharoku's timeline that I know of.

That is until Haibara became sick. I know it sounds like nothing but it was actually the beginning of a rather ridiculous event.

Hakase and I figured that it would be best to take Haibara to the hospital, there would have been a long wait but better that then nothing, all of that went smoothly enough. I stayed at Hakase's house to watch over her anyway, I'd had a bad feeling even then that something worse than what we'd faced so far was going to occur.

It wasn't long before Haibara was healed except for just a light cold, around that time Ojii-san got a letter in the mail inviting him to an off season Halloween party that would be taking place soon, I -or at least 'Kudo Shinichi' who is of course still me- had also received an invite to the same party. According to the envelopes the letters of invitation had been sent by Vermouth.

I arranged it so that Hattori would go to the party disguised as me, to take care of what happens there, while I would stay behind to handle everything else.

I'd disguised myself as Haibara with the intention of being taken by Vermouth, whom I had realized had been disguised as Araide-sensei since around the time Jodie-sensei had first shown up. Everything was going exactly as planned until the person who showed up at the door to get me wasn't Ariade-sensei but rather Jodie-sensei, who I had discovered was an undercover FBI agent.

I quickly was forced to come up with a backup plan. I had to ask Jodie-sensei for a little help but soon my new plan was put into action.

We stopped at the pier, Araide-sensei -as I mentioned actually Vermouth- who had been following us also stopped. Jodie-sensei and Vermouth both got out of their cars and chatted a bit both from within their own respective facade's and disguises as Jodie-sensei backed Vermouth into a corner so she would have to give up her disguise.

They continued to talk, Jodie-sensei explained who she was and why she was after Vermouth, how Jodie had realized that Vermouth was going to disguise as Araide-sensei and made sure to fake Araide-sensei's death before she could kill him and take his place, then finally they arrived at the subject at hand... Haibara.

Jodie-sensei had seen a picture of Miyano Shiho with a dart through it in Vermouth's base and she could tell that Vermouth was targeting Haibara but she didn't understand how the two could be the same person, Vermouth offered her no explanation. Jodie even thought to ask why it was that Vermouth had tried to protect me that one time on the bus, but Vermouth went to draw a gun rather than answering, fortunately Jodie was able to draw first.

Of course at this rate I'm really over explaining things, you know how all of this went -or so I'm told.

You already know that Jodie asks why Vermouth doesn't age and gets shot soon after because Vermouth had already seen all of this coming, you know that as Vermouth was about to kill Jodie I kicked a soccer ball through the glass to knock the gun away, and you know that Haibara arrives with the worst possible timing having followed me with the homing glasses and distracts me long enough for Vermouth to use my own watch to knock me out.

By the time I was no longer unconscious I was alone in a car with Vermouth, I pretended to still be asleep for a while longer until we stopped and she noticed what I had under my jacket, I let her know that if she pulled the plug that the audio that it had recorded -undeniable proof of her true identity not to mention the phone number of the Black Organization's leader- would be sent to the professor who could then take it to the police.

"So what now? Far away from here my partner is waiting for a signal, if you don't want him to receive that signal then take me to your boss, or should we just end this now Vermouth? No more hide and seek," I'd said, trying to sound cool. I'd managed to corner her, even if she was a time traveler like Shiharoku seemed to expect then what help would that bring her now?

"I understand," she sighed, closing her cellphone, "I've lost I'll let Sherry go..."

I was skeptical, was she being serious or did she have some kind of unpredicted trick up her sleeve?

My cell phone buzzed in my jacket pocket but at the time I didn't even realize I was much to preoccupied watching Vermouth as she pointed her cell phones antenna at me.

I looked over at Vermouth, "What are you doing?!"

"Tsk Tsk, Silver Bullet-kun," She chided as puff of colored smoke (presumably knock out gas) was expelled from the antenna, "Didn't I tell you last time we met that I was going to show you something interesting?"

I couldn't respond, I couldn't even tell what was going on around me. I grew dizzier and dizzier until finally everything went dark.

…

When I opened my eyes I was sitting up against the wall of a dark room. I checked my watch, I'd been out for about fifteen minutes. Vermouth can't have taken me too far in that short window of time.

I activated the night vision feature on my glasses in order to examine the room; there didn't appear to be any windows, it was simply an empty room with stairs leading up to a door that I assumed led outside.

I pondered for a moment whether or not I should go to the door. It was probably locked anyway considering that I was probably left here by Vermouth, but on the off chance that the door wasn't locked I wasn't sure what to expect to find outside.

Suddenly I could hear a faint creak, the door was opening, I stayed where I was against the wall and tried to breath as quietly as possible. Not long after there was a gentle tapping as whoever had opened the door walked down the stairs, from the sound it seemed to be just one person.

After reaching the bottom of the stairs the person conveniently didn't appear to notice me, he gave a casual glance around the dark room before leaning against a wall.

He wore a long black trench coat with what appeared to be a white shirt underneath and dark pants. He had dark hair that came only a few centimeters from touching his shoulders, with bangs that dangled wildly in front the glasses that seemed a bit too large for his face. The longer I looked at him the more familiar he seemed to be, as if I had met this person somewhere before but I wasn't able to place where.

I figured that because the person had yet to notice me perhaps I could sneak out the door but I had yet to even take a step when suddenly my cellphone buzzed in my pocket again. The light of the phone shining through the pocket illuminated the room for just a moment.

The man looked right at me with a shocked expression, after a few seconds he spoke up, "Oh no..."

He paused, scanning me carefully with his eyes, making sure that there was no trickery afoot. I couldn't help but feel that I knew that unrelenting gaze all too well but I couldn't quite place it.

"But that's... Impossible…"


	17. Chapter 16

**who's ready to get unreasonably paradoxical?! I know I am! This was such a fun chapter to write! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it~ seems like last chapter created more tension than I though it would~~  
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**Really long chapter~ Like ridiculously long. it's like two normal chapters long! Lots and lots of dialogue~ If things go as planed the next chapter will probably be just as long (so please excuse me if if takes a while to write). 4225 words... maybe I'll try for 4869 next time hehehe~  
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**Thanks for reading, as always pleeeeaaaase review~  
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**chapter 16. the differences between impossibLe and unrEasonable circumsTances**

'Impossible' The man in front of me had said, and I couldn't help but wonder what it was he was thinking was impossible. My presence here obviously hadn't been something he'd predicted but even so that doesn't quite constitute 'impossible', whatever it was that he found strange probably had to do with the fact that it was me.

"What's going on? How did you get here?" The man asked, as if he suspected that I'd know any more than he did about the current situation. Which was almost definitely not the case.

"I don't know..." I answered hesitantly, "Where is this?"

He paused a moment before replying, "You really don't understand the situation you're in at all... do you?"

I shook my head.

He sighed, and pulled a black cell phone out of his left coat pocket and dialed a number, he spoke into the phone as if I wasn't even there, "It would appear that I'm going to have to abort mission, some urgent resistance business has come up and they'll know I'm a double agent if I don't take care of it right away."

There was a pause as the person on the other side said something, presumably giving him permission to abandon his mission for the sake of his cover, the man's facial expression gave me the impression that whoever he was talking to didn't like the idea but was going with it anyway.

"Yes, I'll give a full report once I've taken care of this," The man said as he closed the phone with a deep sigh, apparently he wasn't happy with the prospect of having to give a report -full or otherwise- to whatever superior he was talking to.

"Wha-" I started to ask but he put his fingers to his lips in the universal symbol for 'Oh just shut up can't you see I'm busy here' so I politely obliged.

He then proceeded to pull a white cell phone out of his right coat pocket and dial a number, "Hello, sorry to call on you at such a random time but-... yes I'm well aware of that... this is a very important matter and-"

The other person seemed to keep interrupting him before he could actually say what it was he was trying to say but eventually he managed to get around to it.

"I need you to pick me up. I'll activate the tracer so you can find my current location. See you soon." He then closed the phone without waiting for any sort of reply and went back to looking at me, "You asked me where we were? A better question for you would have been 'when'."

I didn't like the sound of that... had Vermouth dropped me off at a different point in time? Why would she do that?

I figured it would be best to ask, "Fine, when are we then."

"Approximately ten year's ahead of your time line if I'm correct," He answered, "I suppose Vermouth dropped you off here for some reason?"

"Yeah, she left me here, but I have no idea why..." I stated. Why was I telling this guy this I have no idea who he is, well aside from the fact that he's spying on some sort of resistance.

"She probably wanted you to see the future you're helping to change," The man said with an air of calm covering his obvious displeasure at my presence.

After a moment I managed to ignore my curiosity and denial directed at his statement to ask, "Who are you anyway? You look familiar, are you someone I've met in my time?"

The odd man laughed a moment before answering with a question, "You still haven't figured it out?"

"Obviously not," I replied no doubt sounding a bit more bitter than I'd initially intended to.

"So much for being a meitantei..." He muttered, continuing with a casual smirk, "It's me, Shiharoku."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. This weird man is the same Shiharoku that I'd been trying to help to change the future with months ago? Somehow that didn't seem right… and if he really is the same Shiharoku then what's this about spying on a resistance?

He continued as if he'd been able to tell what I was thinking, "I'll explain everything later, for now can I see your cell phone?"

"Why do you want my cell phone? You have two yourself don't you?," I pointed out in case he'd somehow forgotten that he had just pulled two cell phones out only moments ago and didn't need to barrow mine.

"Actually I have four… but that's beside the point," He muttered, he then explained why it was he wanted to see my phone in particular, "From your perspective this is the future as I've already stated, the thing that had alerted me to your presence was that you had received a text message… most anyone who knows your number would be in the time period that you have -for the time being- left behind, the text probably came from Vermouth then since she would know that you're here in this time as she had dropped you off. So, may I please see your phone for just a moment?"

Reluctantly I handed him the phone, as I wondered why I hadn't found it strange that I was receiving a message in a time period when hardly anyone even knows I'm here. Though I've had more to worry about than that.

He looked through my phone for a moment before pulling a silver phone out of his coat; he began to mutter to himself, "That's odd… that can't be right…"

"Is something wrong? What does the text say?" I asked, finding it somewhat disconcerting that something about my cell phone was troubling him.

"Oh, the text is from Vermouth, it simply says 'Welcome to the future,' I'm pretty sure she only sent it so I would notice you before I started to do what I'd been sent there to do…" He trailed off a moment before changing the subject, "It's just that there's a difference of forty-eight minutes between the time your phone reads and the present time, that means you and I aren't currently parallel…"

A difference of forty-eight minutes, that's it? That's what he thought was weird about my phone? What does it matter if we're running parallel or if we're off by just forty-eight minutes?

"This phone is the one that I've been using to send messages to you in the past, any call or text sent from it is received exactly ten years into the past from when it's sent right down to the second," He explained pointing to the perfectly normal looking silver cell phone, "That means when I look at your phone and see that instead of running parallel you're forty-five minutes ahead of me, I can tell that if I were to send a message to your phone with this one right now you would receive it before you arrived in this time."

"Then why not warn me about what Vermouth is going to do?" I asked. Though I guess even if I had been warned that Vermouth was going to take me to the future I probably would have wanted to go so I could see Shiharoku in person as I am now, such a warning would have only assured me that I had nothing to worry about.

"It's not that simple, if I warned you and then you didn't come to the future that would cause a rather serious paradox," He stated as if it were completely obvious, "It would seem that instead I created a stable time loop."

"A 'time loop'?" I'd heard such terminology before in science fiction stories, but asked anyway so I could be sure that I understood what he was trying to say.

"I sent a message that was inevitably meant for me to see now and send back to you from this point," He stated paradoxically as typed a message into his phone and handed me back my own, "See for yourself."

There was a message on the screen from K.S. & E.C.;

_You already know what you must do.  
-K.S._

I didn't entirely understand what it meant about something I must do but it made me realize that if this was Shiharoku then Cool Kid wasn't anywhere to be seen at the moment, I couldn't help but wonder where he was.

"The content of the message was mostly meant for me, the message itself was sent to prove that I'm who I say I am," Shiharoku stated plainly as he pushed the send button on what I assume was/would be the message I just finished reading, "Because I'm sending that message to you now so it'll arrive at the time you'd received it."

"Yeah, okay, whatever," I muttered, suddenly glad that when we were just texting back and forth he had character limits and couldn't just explain until he runs out of stuff to say or is interrupted. Man, I hope I don't sound that long and boring when I'm talking... It's not that important anyway I'll just change the subject again, "So, where's E.C. isn't he pretty much always with you or something?"

He looked at me for a moment as if trying to decide whether or not to answer before saying, "You'll meet him later... for now let's focus on the matter at hand."

What happened to his long, drawn-out, extravagant speech? Don't tell me something's happened to E.C. since they stopped messaging me, please don't tell me something happened to him, he sounded like such an innocent kid... I mean I don't really know for sure that he was all that innocent or even if he was really a kid, but that's at least what he seemed like...

"Alright... so what are we going to do?" I asked. I wasn't going to inquire further about E.C., after all Shiharoku'd made it pretty clear that for whatever reason he didn't want to talk about it at the moment. I could respect that.

"Pardon?" He seemed a bit surprised that I hadn't pushed the subject.

"You just sent a message to yourself through me just to tell yourself that you 'already know what you must do'," I stated as I rolled my eyes, "So go ahead and tell me what it is we're going to have to do that was so important that you just had to confirm it for yourself through predestination."

He seemed a bit surprised at my deduction, I wasn't sure if I should be glad that I had apparently impressed him or discouraged that my own future self was underestimating me by so much. It probably doesn't really matter either way but it's still a bit disheartening.

From the way he had tried to stall telling me his plan, I got the feeling that whatever it was we had to do was not something he was looking forward to doing. He sighed, "We'll need to contact someone that I was trying to keep from being involved."

"Who would that be?"

"Miyano Shiho," He answered plainly.

Why? Why wouldn't he want to contact her? I mean I can understand that sometimes it's better not to tell her about stuff when the Black Organization is involved because then she just acts all paranoid, but the only connection this has to the Black Organization is the fact that Vermouth had been the one to drop me off…

I was about to ask him because trying to figure out without doing so was proving to be impossible; however, before I had the chance to ask one of the phones in his coat buzzed. He pulled the white phone out –finally putting the silver one away- and looked at it having apparently received a text message.

"Our ride is here," he stated dully walking to the door as he put the white cell phone back into his jacket pocket.

I didn't have much choice but to follow him up the stairs and out the door, there was a car waiting for us –or at least for Shiharoku, they likely didn't even know I was there until I'd come out behind him.

The car's driver was a woman; she looked familiar so I wondered for a moment if she was someone that I'd already met, I soon dismissed the thought and got into the backseat of the car despite having not been able to match a name with her face.

"Kazuha, We need to get to headquarters," Shiharoku told her as he got in next to me rather than sitting in the front seat like I had expected him to.

"'Kay. So who's de kid Kudo?" the familiar woman asked, it sounded like she was joking but it was hard to tell through her think Osaka accent, "Don' tell me e's yers."

Wait... Kazuha, Osaka-ben... don't tell me...?!

"I told you not to call me that," Shiharoku sighed, seeming more relaxed than he had been before.

"But it's what 'e always used ta call ya!" The woman complained, causing me to become more confused than I already was as to who she could be, she did not wait for Shiharoku to respond before she continued, "'neway jus' tell me who 'e is, an' why 'e looks jus' like ya did when ya were still stuck as a kid."

Holy crap it really is Toyama-san, Hattori's childhood friend? Why is she picking up future me? What the heck happened?!

"He's a past self of mine from an alternate timeline."

"Wha' should I call 'im den if e's you?" Toyama-san asked seeming confused.

"Why not just call me Conan to avoid confusion?" I proposed. Toyama-san had already called Shiharoku 'Kudo' so she must've known that he/I was 'Kudo Shinichi', it shouldn't be a problem that I'm pretty much giving her my identity.

The two exchanged a look as if they were hiding something from me.

"No…" Shiharoku objected hesitantly, "That wouldn't really work how about we call you 'Kudo Shinji instead'?"

I wasn't sure what it was that wouldn't work out by just calling me 'Conan' but regardless I saw nothing wrong with the name that he was offering me so I nodded in acceptance. Toyama-san laughed just a bit, giving me the sinking feeling that I'd just been made the but of some strange inside joke.

"Let's see... as for your back story..." Shiharoku continued, "If anyone asks you are the second son of Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo, they sent you here to let the resistance know that they are safe and that they'll help us with our plan when the time comes..."

Do I even need a back story? It didn't sound completely made up was he using another scenario as a model for this back story?... suddenly I was worried that something had happened to my (our?) parents in this timeline, "_Are_ they safe?"

"Oh, yeah, They're fine. Dad's even written a few books under different pen names with secret messages to me hidden in the chapter titles or margins," he answered.

Somehow while causing me to wonder even more what had happened since my time to create this 'future' the unusual statement still managed to reassure me completely. It sounded like something dad would do, no matter what crazy timeline he's in.

"Any more questions?" Shiharoku asked after a moment, as though he expected me to be asking something. I must've looked confused because he continued, "By this point you're bound to be wondering what's happened and of course I intend to explain to you but there's honestly no where good to start so I figure you can just ask whatever you'd like and I'll just answer until you've run out of things to ask."

Why not just start at the beginning? I wondered, but felt no need to voice that particular question, instead I asked, "So what's this resistance I keep hearing about?"

"One of _their_ member's is the elected leader of Japan at the moment, indirectly placing Anokata in charge of just about the entire country. The same can be said for several smaller countries. Even though they're still hiding in the shadows _they _have become powerful enough that even ordinary people are beginning to take notice of them," he explained grimly, "The resistance is -of course- a coalition of people who've committed to stand against the Organization whatever the cost. I am -as I'm sure you can imagine- one of the leading members of the resistance."

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Still it's hard to imagine much direct confrontation with the Black Organization.

"Then what about what you were saying earlier, you know on that black phone," I asked, now having a bad feeling about who he could possibly be spying on the resistance for. If he really was a double agent like he had plainly stated himself not even an hour ago then wouldn't that mean that he is an acting member of the Black Organization spying on the resistance? What sort of motive could he possibly have for that?

"Oh! Right I suppose I should explain all that before you begin to get suspicious of me," he stated bluntly as if he were somehow reading my mind, "While I act as a resistance leader I'm also a reasonably high ranking member of the organization. Of course both sides no I'm a member of both sides -though the Organization doesn't know that the resistance knows I'm one of _them_- and both believe themselves to be the true group to which my loyalties lie."

"Ya aren't tryin' ta say yer actually rootin' fer them are ya?" Toyama-san asked.

There was no seriousness in her tone at all, apparently his loyalties where not at all questioned on the resistance side, though I suppose that makes sense considering the Black Organization were the one's who tried to kill him years ago. Come to think of it why are they being so stupid as to let someone they tried to kill join them and work as a double agent in the coalition against them?

"Of course not~" Shiharoku replied, playing along with the joke.

"The Black Organization doesn't know you're Kudo Shinichi, do they?" I asked, that being the only logical solution as to how they could let him be their double agent, they simply don't know it's him.

"That's right, funny story actually," Shiharoku laughed, "you see they think that I'm an alternate personality of Edogawa Conan. I've managed to convince them that 'Conan' is unaware that I exist as his alternate personality, therefore they think I'm spying on the resistance without actually being a member of theirs, as they see it I can't betray them because no one else knows of my existence."

For whatever reason I found his explanation unsettling. He was -no doubt- leaving out details that he either didn't feel like sharing with me or otherwise thought would cause me to lose my trust in him again, and it was because he withheld such information that I couldn't help but feel that whatever he wasn't telling me was a matter of the utmost importance.

Shiharoku continued, paying my unease no mind if he was aware of it, "Of course that's not to say I didn't have to do anything 'prove' my 'loyalty' to them, because I did and it was quite a difficult thing to do but I guess all I'm trying to say here is that I've managed to wedge myself into a position where…"

"What did you have to do to make _them_ think you were loyal?" I wondered aloud.

Whatever it was must have been something bad, otherwise it would prove nothing… did he give away important resistance information? No that's too easy not to mention he could easily have misinformed them thereby giving the resistance an advantage- however temporary. It's got to have been more than that… did they have him kill someone?

"You're on the right track there," Shiharoku said calmly, giving me the feeling that he actually was reading my mind though it was more likely that my facial expression had given away my line of thought. The elder me's expression grew grim, "However I can't say I actually killed anyone who hadn't already been long dead."

I could feel my eyes widening, the overall tension in the car doubled with each second that passed, though Shiharoku himself didn't appear to be fazed at all. With a gulp I asked the question that would –I hoped- relieve the tension, " You killed someone? Who?"

The very thought that my future-self had killed anyone was disturbing on its own; it didn't help the matter that he was acting so calm about it. I don't care who he killed or how long it's been since he did so, it's horrible to kill someone and try to pass it off as though it were nothing, as if it made no difference in the life of the person who'd killed them, as if it didn't matter at all.

Has his time as a member of the Black Organization numbed him to the meaning of death? Did he simply not care because he intended to change the past and erase the action anyway? This is the exact opposite of the sort of person that I would ever hope to become.

"Kudo Shinichi," He said quietly, his bangs were covering his eyes so I could no longer see what kind of expression he was making, "They think I killed Kudo Shinichi."

I was somewhat shocked by his answer. I began to mutter aloud, "How can that be? You is Kudo Shinichi… Though I suppose if they think you're Edogawa Conan then it's perfectly rational that they don't realize you're the very person you supposedly killed. Still, how did you manage to pull that off and even so how did they realize that 'Kudo Shinichi' didn't die when Gin gave 'him' Apotoxin4869? What must Ran think if 'Shinichi' is officially dead… or does she not know…"

Shiharoku interrupted my train of thought, "The exact nature of the trick is complicated and irrelevant. They had suspected for a while –at the time- that Kudo Shinichi and Miyano Shiho were the top leaders of the resistance so knowing this I went ahead and used the antidote to occasionally make public appearances as Shinichi, thereby confirming that he was still alive. After a while we'd reached an impasse in our struggle against them so I set it up so that 'Conan's alternate personality killed Shinichi, handling all issues involving death records with some police that were also resistance members, and called Anokata asking for a position in the organization, and of course I've already explained that arrangement."

Okay... that's weird...but at least he didn't really kill anyone, I can live with that.

"Ah, we've made it, Thanks for the ride Kazuha," Shiharoku said, sounding sincere as the car came to a stop. He opened the door to get out, I followed suit.

"Dun' mention it, I'll help ya 'ne time ya need it, Kudo," She replied, giving a friendly wink as he and I both shut the door.

She drove away soon thereafter and I was left with Shiharoku to look at the extremely ordinary looking building in front of me.

"There's nothing interesting about the outside," Shiharoku stated blandly, walking towards the entrance, "Come on."


	18. Chapter 17

**Three chapters after this one~ Everything's starting to wrap up. As for this chapter... for all the explaining it does it doesn't go very in depth about anything but I guess it's just in Shiharoku's nature to be a bit ambiguous, I apologize if anything in this chapter confuses you (go ahead and ask questions in reviews or pm me, and I'll answer if it's not a spoiler). But I don't apologize for any of the previous chapters! They're all pretty clear and it all just seems so obvious in hindsight!  
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**Did it, I got 4869 this time (that includes this A/N) probably the longest chapter of anything I'll ever write~ It's the perfect number of words for a chapter that reveals so much about Shiharoku yet leaves you about as confused as when you started reading it. Questions answered just leads to new questions...  
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**Thanks for reading, as always pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaase review~  
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**chapter 17. conTinuing forward as if tHere were nothIng elSe left**

Shiharoku was right. The resistance headquarters was incredibly boring on the outside and at first the inside gave the same impression as it appeared to be every bit the abandoned building that its outside would have led me to think it was.

However that wasn't the end of it, we passed into a corridor where we stepped into something like an elevator, and we went down what must have been at least a dozen floors before getting off the elevator into an odd hallway. There were all kinds of weird things jutting out of every nook and cranny, bits of what I assumed to be future technology and weaponry.

It was all -in a word- incredible.

As we walked along the hallway Shiharoku continued to explain various things to me just as I continued to ask him questions.

"So what do they call you, the Black Organization that is? They can't just call you 'the alternate persona of Edogawa Conan' all the time; they must've given you a code name."

"They have, my code name from them is Paikaru -rather ironic I know," He said with a grin, "And I've been going by Shiharoku ever since 'Kudo Shinichi' officially died, _they_ seem to think it's a joke about my having killed the 'Heisei Holmes' even if I only go by that in order to differentiate myself and Cool Kid, so I'm called 'Paikaru Shiharoku'."

"Why would you need to use a different name to differentiate yourself, unless the two of you look and act alike there wouldn't be any need for differentiation," I asked, "Or could it be that 'E.C.' is Edogawa Conan, if that's the case then is he another future self of mine?"

He laughed, "You've gotten the name right, but I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Here we go again. That is, perhaps, the worst phrase for him to utter. If he says it's not 'simple' then that means that this is going to be an unreasonably complicated explanation of something that could probably be otherwise explained with just a few sentences.

Shiharoku continued, "Nine years ago, this time, one year from yours, there was an accident. It was a very simple accident and normally it wouldn't have even been a problem but some of my personal circumstances made it unnecessarily complicated-"

"What personal circumstances in particular?" I asked, becoming accustomed to simply asking whatever question came to mind aloud, it functioned as a good way to relieve my curiosity and prevent him from carrying on about any particularly disinteresting topics.

"I suppose I can't avoid explaining my personal history any longer…" He muttered, sounding almost as if he'd rather do anything but tell me whatever 'personal history/circumstances' it was that he was now going to have to tell me, with a loud and very drawn out sigh he began, "This isn't the first timeline I've been a part of, I've hoped across many, transmitting only my memories backwards through time and across worlds (well timelines, but it's easier to understand them as being separate words rather than the result of diverging outcomes). I've lived these ten or eleven years over more than a thousand times, repeating similar events over and over."

He paused just a moment, to allow me to wrap my mind around what he was claiming to have been through. It was ridiculous, the mere notion that he'd sent his 'memories' through time thousands of times no doubt trying to make little changes so that things would not end the same way they had the first time he'd lived through the very same events. To live the same ten years over two or three times would be amazing, but thousands, how could anyone ever do that?

"Sometimes things would change and sometimes nothing would; I've been through worlds where Edogawa Conan really did exist as a person separate from 'Kudo Shinichi', worlds where people I knew weren't who I knew them to be, worlds were 'magic' existed, worlds where it was discovered that Apotoxin4869 couldn't ever be cured at all and many where it had been, and any change that could ever be imagined. I've lived through it all," He continued, in his voice there was an odd hint of nostalgia hiding in his tone, "And in all those worlds, in all that time, not once did I manage to defeat the Black Organization without someone I care for dying. After a while I could no longer ignore the effect that all my timeline hoping was having on my sanity, though I think I'm doing a pretty good job of not having a mental breakdown of some sort."

Wow, never would have guessed something like that. So he's sent his 'memories' back through time a bunch of times and as a side effect his mental stability is beginning to suffer. I guess I would start to go insane too with all that... or rather he is me, so I definitely would.

Apparently he took my astonishment and lack of response as an invitation to continue his explanation; he began by clearing his throat, "In any case back nine years ago a simple car accident occurred. Ran was about to get hit by a car, if it had hit her head on there's no doubt that it would have killed her -I knew because I'd seen it happen before- so naturally I pushed her out of the way and neither of us were hit. The worst injuries either of us had were some scraps from the road, but of course we had to go to the hospital for the night anyway."

He paused for a moment, presumably to let what he'd said so far sink in. But what was there to let sink in, it was all rather self-explanatory. It was as he said, a simple accident, no casualties or injuries. So what does this have to do with 'Edogawa Conan'?

"No one was injured," He repeated, "However, when 'Edogawa Conan' woke up in the hospital after staying the night he couldn't remember anything that had happened before he began living with the Mouri family. To those who didn't know who 'Conan' really was the mysterious genius boy merely had amnesia, but for those who knew the truth it was quite apparent that his affliction was something else entirely. Conan -as a person- had not truly existed before he began living with the Mouri's so there was no way that he would have had such memories so it was not concerning that 'Conan' had no prior memories to living with the Mouri family, what people who knew the truth about Conan realized immediately was that he truly believed himself to be Edogawa Conan."

"Eh?"

It'd be a lie to say that I didn't see where this was going, but honestly I was hoping that what I had understood him to be implying was just me jumping to conclusions rather than pieces of a puzzle fitting together. What he was implying... it had to be a joke, a big lump of future irony.

"My mental instability led to Edogawa Conan splintering out of my personality and becoming a persona of his own," He said, almost spitefully, "E.C., Edogawa Conan is an alternate personality created by Kudo Shinichi when I was about to reach the breaking point."

I stopped and stared up at him with wide eyes. Was he serious? Was it a joke? Honestly for a moment I couldn't tell, but once I thought about it I realized that it was obvious all along. I was an idiot for not suspecting that it was possible for K.S. and E.C. to be the 'same' person, I'd suspected that E.C. could be a tactile front put on by K.S. but I'd never once considered he could be another persona entirely... stupid, stupid, stupid. There were so many signs...

"So... Cool Kid is... you?" I asked, though at this point it wasn't really even a question, he'd pretty much already confirmed it, there was no point in asking a question that had already been answered. Still a part of me had wanted to make sure.

For a moment Shiharoku stopped, he turned around to face me. His expression had changed, it seemed less serious, and when he spoke up his tone was completely different than before, like a child's, "No, Niichan is Niichan, Cool Kid is me."

You've got to be kidding me.

The change was near instantaneous, a flip-flop between a dark but calm double agent and an innocent young child (even if he was still physically a teenager I found it hard to perceive him as anything but a child). There was so much of a difference that if 'Conan' weren't an alternate personality then I would have to suggest that he give up on being a detective in favor of beginning a career as an actor.

"It's nice to finally meet you Chibi-niichan," He said with a bright smile.

'Chibi-niichan' it's not my fault I'm this size... I sighed, "It's nice to finally meet you too... Conan."

Meeting Edogawa Conan isn't exactly something I ever imagined that I would be doing... I can't say it's that pleasant of an experience, to see someone who looks so much like me acting like a child with that seventeen year old face... if it were possible I'd switch places with him in a heartbeat, at least then the age wouldn't seem so messed up, of course that would be weird anyway for completely different reasons.

"You two can just switch out whenever you want?" I asked, suddenly wondering. Usually wouldn't one of the personalities be unaware of the other or there be some kind of stimulus that causes them to switch?

"Yup~," Conan replied with an energetic nod, "It took a while to get used to everything but Niichan and I are used to it now. Even though I think Niichan is still kinda embarrassed by me sometimes."

I can see why he would be embarrassed, Shiharoku is so serious but seeing Conan have the same appearance but such a starkly different personality I find it hard to actually take him seriously, people that know about them both probably even tease them all the time.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" I heard a familiar voice call out from behind us. I turned around and was immediately able to recognize the speaker, white hat, suit, and cape, holding a gem in his hand, it could be none other than the Kaitou Kid. His general build was a bit different than the last time that I'd seen him but then this was a different timeline and ten years had passed since the point of time I came from anyway so he was bound to look a bit different even if he was wearing the exact same outfit.

"Oh! Hello Kaito-niichan, did you find what you were looking for yet?" Conan asked, despite his how convincingly genuine his words seemed I had the feeling that Conan did not expect the thief to find whatever it was he was looking for any time soon... perhaps Shiharoku had told Conan something that he'd learned in a different timeline about the thief's quest.

"No not yet, just another useless gem," The thief stated, a hint of disappointment coloring his words as he tossed what I assumed was the stolen gem in question into the air then caught it again. He pocketed the gem, "In any case you didn't answer the question, who's the kid Tantei-chan?"

"It's Chibi-niichan," Conan answered, apparently completely serious about calling me by that ridiculous nickname.

Kid must've already known that Conan and Shiharoku were in contact with me because he seemed to understand exactly who I was even though he only had my appearance and 'Chibi-niichan' to go on, "How did he get here?"

"Vermouth dropped him off, I'm not sure what her motive is though," was the response, I assumed that it was Shiharoku rather than Conan who'd replied because of the more intellectual sounding phrasing, although I couldn't be sure.

"You can never really be sure what that woman is after anyway," the white clad thief smiled, he turned to me, "So, what do you think of this future, Meitantei-chan?"

It took me just a moment to realize that by 'Meitantei-chan' he meant me, "It's... not what I was expecting."

"Well what did you expect?" Kid asked jokingly, "if it was any good then Meitantei-kun wouldn't need to be trying to fix the past."

I suppose that's a valid point but it's not like I'd expected the future to be all sunshine and rainbows... just less grim I guess. The Black Organization's take over, the resistance, some people I know are dead and others are completely different, Shiharoku being mentally unstable, Conan... I had yet to see anything in this timeline that seemed to show any hope that things could get better.

I must've taken too long to respond because Kid just started talking again, looking toward Shiharoku with an odd glance he said, "Anyway I should get going, I've gotta plan my next heist... any suggestions this time Meitantei-kun?"

"Why don't you try the Hope Diamond," Shiharoku replied casually as if it were no big deal to suggest that his friend should try to steal such a heavily protected gem, "It was the gem you're looking for in at least twenty of the timelines I've crossed."

"Thanks," Kid laughed, and with that single parting word the thief vanished in a puff of brightly colored smoke.

"Alright now that the nuisance is gone shall we continue?" Shiharoku asked, he began to continue walking down the hall, "You still have more you want to ask me right?"

"Er right," I replied, I walked a short distance behind him, "Why did you stop messaging me? Was there just nothing that you thought was important enough to warn me about in that time?"

"No, there was plenty I could have warned you about," He responded, he sounded normal but there was something hiding in his tone, something darker, "I stopped because of what you'd said, you remember right? The last time you and I talked before I stopped communicating with you."

"Yeah, that was when I'd pointed out that your goal is similar to the Black Organization's. Did that upset you?"

It was just a casual comment, but I guess it is kind of offensive to say that he's trying to do the same thing that they are... even so I don't see how it could warrant the reaction it received.

"What you said... made me realize something," He answered, "Something I'd have rather not known..."

Well that certainly sounds mysterious... what could he possibly have realized as a result of my saying that? It's not like I told him anything strange. I knew that I would get nowhere just thinking about it so I went ahead and asked, "What was it?"

"That my mission was always doomed from the start. Everything had been inevitable all along, all the timelines I've hopped through so far were just preparing me for this one."

I know that I didn't say anything that depressing... how on earth did he reach that conclusion from what I said? What does that even mean anyway?

I tried asking.

He sighed, "Someone in the resistance from this timeline will inevitably go back in time approximately sixty years from this point and they will found the organization, that someone will become the person known as Anokata."

It wasn't difficult to understand how he must've arrived at that point, it was just circular reasoning; if his goal is the same as the Black Organization's, then the leader of the organization is someone who has the same goal that he does, someone that has the same goal he does could be any of the people who are on his side. No doubt he has other evidence that helped him narrow it down to an ally from this timeline rather than any of the others, and clues pointing to Anokata being someone he knew, he must've tried to ignore all the signs until I pointed it out so plainly...

"But... you don't know which person it is," I stated, though it was more of a question than a statement.

"I know exactly who it is..." Shiharoku answered hesitantly, "Anokata is someone that I know very well."

It's obvious that he has no intention of telling me who it is... doesn't he realize that if he says it like that I'll just want to know who it is even more? Still 'someone that I know very well'... I wonder who it could be?

We'd reached the end of the hall when Shiharoku stopped and opened a door on the right and walked in as if on autopilot.

I followed him in, surprised to find that the room was for the most part relatively plain, there was a computer desk and at least five bookshelves. There were a few strange things scattered across the room, various toys littered the floor, a few brightly colored manga were on one of the bookshelves (in stark contrast with the rest of the books it contained), there was a chess board on the bedside table apparently abandoned halfway through a game (the black side had been wining), and the bed itself was fitted with Kamen Yaiba sheets but otherwise the room proved to be quite dull.

"This is my room, I moved out of the detective agency after the resistance was formed," He explained, "We'll stay here for tonight and I'll contact Shiho in the morning to see about what needs to be done."

His room... well that explains the Kamen Yaiba bedsheets, all the childish stuff is obviously Conan's...

"Oh right, you said something about how that was what we would need to do even though you don't want to," I replied, letting the subject of Anokata drop, "What is it we need her for?"

"In this timeline I killed Kudo Shinichi off so there was no longer any reason for her to continue working on an antidote for me, I'd convinced her to relive a normal life, to start over as Haibara Ai instead of fighting the organization with me, she helps the resistance occasionally but for the most part she's acting as a normal teenage girl. I don't want to interrupt her new life... but she's the only person we can rely on to create a time machine," Shiharoku answered with a serious look on his face.

A time machine? If they had the ability to make something like that then why bother creating something stupid like a cell phone that sends messages a specified amount of time into the past? Perhaps... Shiharoku had wanted to use a method of time travel that wouldn't lead to him having to directly meet his past self... then why not just send his memory back again, if he's done it so many times already there should be no trouble doing it again... I must be missing something here.

Conveniently he continued, "You aren't meant to be here, so we need to return you to when you came from. Honestly I was hoping to avoid direct travel to the past, it has a tendency of making the entire situation way more complicated then it needs to be, there's too much potential for it to all go wrong, but in this case we have to. If we don't return you to your own world the consequences would undoubtedly be very serious."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Not even counting matters involving the organization if you aren't there many murders will go unsolved or unstopped... it may not seem like it but both Kudo Shinichi and Edogawa Conan are very important people, you are at the center of many of the events that happened since you were poisoned and even a few from before that time. It's not a just a coincidence you know, it really couldn't have been anyone but you, haven't you wondered why it was that out of all the people it was tried on 'Kudo Shinichi' is one of the few who beat the odds and shrank?" He paused as if expecting that I might answer that even though it seemed to be a rhetorical question, "There are some things that always happen no matter how many times I repeat the same few years, and things that if I try to change them the consequences are always major. If we keep you out of your timeline for to long there's no telling what could happen..."

"Oh... that sounds... very important," I responded as I wondered just how much of what he was saying was true and how much of it might have just been paranoia brought on by leaping across timelines. In the end I figured it best to just go along with it.

"Yes. Very important. _Very_, very important. And that's why we need to get you back."

Alright so the plan is we're going to stay the night in the boring/weird bedroom then in the morning Shiharoku is going to call the Miyano Shiho of this timeline and ask her to help him make a time machine and they will do that as quickly as possible then I'll go back in time to when I'm supposed to be and we'll pick up from where we left off... maybe.

I tried asking, of course committing the stupid sounding bits.

As for Shiharoku's response, "Exactly, though once we've returned you to where you belong I will not message you again unless it becomes absolutely necessary, I want to to forget all about me and everything I've told you, just act like all of this never happened. You were never contacted by the future and you never went to the future, just act natural, and tell everyone that ever talked to me in that timeline to do the same. Do you understand?"

"Um... yes, but why?"

"Remember what I said before about it being inevitable that Anokata come from this timeline to approximately sixty years ago from this time?" He asked, his expression was one of utmost seriousness, I nodded and he continued, "by continuing to help you as I had been I would be doing exactly what they want."

I didn't understand, I couldn't see anyway in which the two events connected at all... but Shiharoku didn't look like he was making it up at all, he didn't want to do anything to help create the future he was claiming was already inevitable.

I tried to think of something to say, but was interrupted before I actually managed to say anything.

"Anyway… I've had a long day so I'm going to go ahead and get some sleep," Shiharoku yawned, "If you'd like you can continue to talk with Conan but he should probably get some sleep too eventually…"

It should have already been obvious to me that Conan could still be active even if Shiharoku was asleep, it didn't really make any sense that it was possible for them to both have completely separate consciousness, but I'd already been texted by Conan several times when Shiharoku was supposedly asleep so it must be. I guess it can't really be healthy though considering an average teenage body needs eight to nine hours of sleep every night, even if they are consciously separate people if some of the time spent sleeping doesn't overlap then their shared body would have no rest and they would both wind up physically exhausted.

Suddenly my thought process was interrupted, "Ne, Chibi-niichan let's play chess!"

I assumed that Shiharoku must've already fallen asleep at that point even though there were no signs that such a thing had happened… I'm not really sure what sort of sign would show such a thing anyway. Whatever the case I saw no reason to deny Conan a game of chess even if it was pretty likely that I would win so I replied, "Sure, I'm not really tired anyway."

With a smile he set up the game board so all the pieces were in their starting positions and sat down next it on the floor on the white side, hesitantly I sat across from him at the black. As the white player he made the first move.

"Shiharoku plays with you?" I asked, trying to make conversation, it was really more of an observation than a question though. I doubted many people in the resistance besides Shiharoku would be comfortable playing from the black side. I moved a pawn.

Conan nodded, "Yeah. He always says that it's a strange game because the queen is stronger than the king but if the king is taken then everyone else stops fighting."

I thought about what he'd said for a moment as he took his turn, it didn't take long to see the symbolism -rather it was pretty much completely obvious what that statement would be referring to.

I made a suitable move in return as I replied, "Hmm… that _is_ weird, in real life the queen would probably fight harder if the king were taken."

"But without the king the king the queen wouldn't be sure what to do," He said casually, I'm not entirely sure he understood that we weren't just talking about chess even if his reply was probably correct. He moved his bishop to guard his king.

For just a moment neither of us said anything, we just sat there and moved pieces back and forth, the tension increased as I realized he was much better then I had expected him to be.

"I guess so," I replied, not really sure what else to say on the matter that the childish teen would understand, instead I changed the topic, "So how's Ran been… she must've been really upset when Shiharoku staged Shinichi's death, or did she know that Shinichi had turned into Conan?"

"Ran-neechan misses Shinichi-niichan very much but Niichan won't tell her that he's okay… I think he doesn't want her to be disappointed that he's changed so much from how he used to be," Conan sighed, sounding oddly understanding and mature compared to how he'd sounded before, causing me to suspect that maybe Shiharoku hadn't fallen asleep and was instead using that as a pretext to talk to me while pretending to be Conan... but that didn't seem likely.

We continued to play, making casual conversation instead of trying to talk about anything serious, and eventually we managed to finish playing our game -I won- and seeing nothing else to do we figured it was about time that the two of us went to bed.

There had only been the one bed in the room and no futon for guests so I had to share the reasonably sized but still probably meant for just one person bed with Shiharoku/Conan... which worked out fine enough. I'd laid awake for a while wondering about all the things I didn't know about this timeline but at some point I fell asleep without even realizing it.


	19. Chapter 18

**count down: Two chapters left~ As the story reaches what I assume is it's climax**** (I more or less make up what happens as I go so I can't really be sure, I kinda have an outline from here to the end though ^x^) everything should be falling into place and**** pretty much all the remaining questions will be answered, including the identity of Anokata (at least who I'm saying it is in this story, I in no way expect that this could ever really happen in the real story but it's still a cool twist) and why all of this was doomed from the start! **

**Wow this chapter sounds excitingly grim already (and I haven't even finished writing it yet)... why is it that all my DC stories have endings that can't truly be considered happy, there's always a catch and there will be this time too... so Sorry but if you were expecting 'happily ever after' you've got another thing coming. If you can't stand a Bad End then just stop reading here, pretend that it continued so that Shinji returned to his proper timeline and everything worked out for everyone, even if that isn't really how it will be...  
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**Thanks to everyone who's read so far and everyone who plans to continue reading (which I hope is all of you despite what I said in my previous paragraph) I hope you've all enjoyed reading the story thus far as much as I've enjoyed writing it, please stick with me to the end ^v^, as always please review~  
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**chapter 18. that which could not have BeEn avoided  
**

I woke in the morning being prodded by -I assume- Conan as he said very loudly and obnoxiously, "Rise and shine sleepy head! It's time to start our happy day! Wakey, wakey!"

I wasn't entirely awake yet and I honestly felt like slapping the teen/child in the face right then and there so he would just shut up and leave me to sleep another hour or two, but then I remembered where I was... well _when_ and where I was. With a yawn I rolled myself sluggishly out of the bed, reviewing everything that had happened the night before in my head as I tried to separate dreams from reality.

"Good you're finally awake," He sighed. He no longer sounded excited and childish so I guess it must have switched to Shiharoku... I swear all of this personality switching along with all the time travel nonsense is going to give me a headache at some point.

"Yeah... Good morning Shiharoku... Conan," I murmured.

As I rubbed my eyes I got a good look at what he was wearing, unlike the day before he was now wearing a black and white checkered button up shirt with a bright red bow tie (probably the same as the voice changing bow tie I use) with a pair of black pants, and he was wearing the same glasses he had been... it was perhaps the strangest outfit I'd ever seen a person actually wear that somehow still looked cool. He didn't look near as intimidating as he had the night before, maybe it was just the shirt but he looked more like he should be playing in a high school chess tournament than leading a resistance or time traveling.

"You still wear that bow tie?" I asked, It's probably not that useful since he probably doesn't do the sleeping Kogoro thing anymore, and if 'Kudo Shinichi' is dead there's no need to use it to call Ran... but who knows maybe he's found some other uses for it.

"Well... bow ties are cool," He stated plainly. Did he honestly mean that or was he just trying to relieve some of the tension from last night, I couldn't be sure but it didn't really matter either way.

"I see..." I replied uncertainly. I figured it was about time to change the subject, he was probably just stalling anyway, "So, when are we going to go meet Haibara?"

"I wanted to wake you up before I called her, I might need you to prove that I'm not lying," He sighed, pulling a red cell phone out of one of his pockets, he dialed a number waiting a moment as the other side presumably rang, "Hello, it's me."

As soon as he'd finished speaking he held the phone away from his face and placed his free hand firmly over his ear - which was a very wise move because in seconds a great shout came from the phone.

"_You Idiot! You Fool! You Moron! It's Been Months, And You Think You Can Just Say 'Hello' And Everything Will Be Fine?!_"

It went quiet and Shiharoku put the phone back to his ear, "You and I both know it's better if I don't contact you. The fact that I have means there's been trouble... I'm putting you on speaker phone."

He took the phone from his ear pushed a button and placed it on the bed.

"-_ Why would you do that?_" She asked, sounding a bit curious. Her voice didn't sound very different from the her I knew, it was a little different but for the most part she seemed to be the same.

"Because I know I'd hate to be left hearing just one side of the conversation if I were me," Shiharoku replied, almost as if he were purposely trying to be cryptic about it.

There was a pause, "_There's more than one of you there then?_"

"Right, three if you want to count Conan," Shiharoku confirmed, it sounded almost as if he were joking like he had been with Toyama-san before, perhaps he was trying to lighten the mood, "My past self, whom I had been messaging with the phone you made for me, was brought into this time."

"_How could that have happened?" _She asked. She sounded almost afraid, and why shouldn't she be when she's supposed to be the person who'll invent the time machine and it's already clearly being used to create unfavorable circumstances.

Shiharoku said only one word in reply, "Vermouth."

The silence from the other end came as no surprise to me, I already knew how much Haibara disliked Vermouth (in my timeline at least but I saw no reason for it to be any different in this one) so it seemed reasonable that she would react in such a way, she was probably trying to rationalize why Vermouth would have means of time travel and why she would have dropped me into this timeline... which is a really good question.

After a moment she finally broke the silence, when she spoke she sounded hesitant, "_I understand... so you've called me because you need to return you past self to the proper point in time."_

It didn't really sound at all like a question, she seemed to be just confirming what she was already able to understand from what had been said.

"Right," Shiharoku replied, "Will you meet us at the usual place? We'll talk more there."

"_Of course."_

Within seconds she hung up, and he in turn also hung up, neither bothering to say goodbye knowing that they would see each other soon. Leaving me to wonder where exactly their 'usual place' could be, though I didn't think it was important enough to ask when I would obviously be there relatively soon.

"Alright, now that that's settled let's go," Shiharoku stated blandly as he grabbed a gray trench coat much like the black one he'd worn the night before.

I nodded in agreement seeing no reason to stay. Soon the two of us had gotten into a car and headed towards the 'usual place', strangely enough Shiharoku drove despite having specifically called Toyama-san to give us a lift last night.

My strange alternate timeline future self made no attempt to start a conversation, perhaps he assumed that I understood that if I wanted to know anything I could just ask, perhaps he was focused on driving and didn't want to divert his attention too much, or maybe he just wanted silence for a bit. The last reasoning seemed pretty likely so I respectfully remained silent as well.

After about an hour and a half we arrived outside the house I'd live at back when I was 'Kudo Shinichi'. He calmly parked the car out front and got out, opening the gate and walking straight to the front door which he promptly unlocked.

As he crossed through the doorway -with me following close behind- I heard him mutter to himself, "I'm home..."

He sounded bitter as if simply being here was in some way hurting him, and I suppose it probably did, there were probably too many reminders of things he believed to be better left forgotten; bits and pieces of the life as Kudo Shinichi that he would probably never be able to return to.

Without hesitating he walked towards my (his? Our?) old bedroom and sat down on the bed. He reached for a copy of_ A Study in Scarlet_ that was sitting on the nightstand and wiped some dust off of it before opening to a bookmark, and then he laughed though I wasn't sure what he thought was so funny.

So I asked him, "What's so funny?"

"When I put this book down I'd thought that it was stupid of me to put a bookmark in it, I thought I wasn't ever going to return," He said grinning as he looked up from the book, "But here I am, my plans have failed and I've returned to the beginning, even though we still haven't reached the end."

Wow, even his sense of humor is a bit dark. I guess it is a bit ironic though.

Looking back down at the book he said, "Just make yourself at home, it is technically your house too after all. I doubt there's any food here that hasn't gone bad but you can look if you'd like, you'd be better off just watching TV or something."

As if the blanket of dust hadn't been a testament to how long it'd been since anyone had last come in here much less stocked the fridge, I'd have to be stupid to expect to find any food that wasn't either rotten or stale... maybe something in a can but I wasn't really hungry anyway. Instead of bothering to check the kitchen I went to pick up a book of my own, opting for a book my father hadn't yet written in my time period -the next volume in his Night Baron series- which I sat down next to Shiharoku and began to read.

And so the two of us read, and we waited.

After a few hours there was a faint sound of footsteps in the hallway followed by a near nonexistent knock at the door. Shiharoku stood, smirking as he put the bookmark back into the book, and answered the door.

"It's nice to see you again," She said, from her tone I got the feeling that I was missing something... was there something between the two of them that hadn't happened yet for me? Whatever... I probably shouldn't pry.

"Yeah it's been a while..." He replied, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Right... so like I said we need to get him back to his own time, please tell me it won't take too long to make a time machine."

She hesitated, "It shouldn't take any longer than a week. We can just use the same fundamental theory we used to make the chronophone to handle the temporal side of things, the most difficult part would be figuring out how to pass something besides data through the black hole without it being ripped apart atom by atom within several seconds that would likely feel like eternity..."

Well that sounds... pleasant. Who wouldn't want to be ripped apart atom by atom forever? Don't answer that.

"Yeah, that'll be difficult... but it's not impossible, the fact that Shinji managed to get here from his timeline is irrefutable proof it can be done, and I've done it myself in a few timelines," Shiharoku replied.

"Shinji?" Haibara asked, raising her eyebrow.

Shiharoku sighed, "Yeah we decided that we'd call him that while he's here to avoid confusion."

"I guess that makes sense..." She replied, continuing with a whisper, "But isn't 'Shinji' supposed to be...?"

"You're right, but I'm just using the name, that doesn't mean that this 'Shinji' is the same as that 'Shinji'," Shiharoku reassured.

It was strange and I honestly had no clue what they were talking about. There was apparently another person who went by Shinji and Haibara seemed to think that it was significant that Shiharoku was having me use that name... but what significance is there in a name? I figured I should ask, worst thing that could happen is they just wouldn't tell me.

"Er, what are you two even talking about?"

"...difficult question," He replied, trailing off, "Haibara any chance you can go ahead and start working on a plan for the time machine while I explain?"

She nodded, and he continued.

"It's a really long story but... I guess I'll just give you the short version," He paused for a moment as if trying to decide how to shorten the so-called 'long story', "Basically... In the timeline that I was originally a part of there was another Kudo Shinichi, he came from ten years ahead of my time one year after I'd been shrunken. He'd come to change the past in favor of a better future, but due to various circumstances that aren't really important he couldn't prevent the specific event he'd come to prevent so he and I went back in time together to that day at tropical land, the plan was that we would prevent Kudo Shinichi being poisoned and then the two of us would be wiped from existence. We failed... we managed to prevent the Shinichi in that timeline from being poisoned, but the future me that had come with me was poisoned instead and we didn't disappear. So I was Conan, unpoisoned Shinichi was Shinichi, and double poisoned future me was 'Shinji'. The timeline got pretty crazy after that, captured Gin, told Ran the truth, et cetera... three of Kudo Shinichi existing at the same time for nearly half a year caused a ridiculous grandfather paradox and that world turned into a dream."

Wow that's the shortened version? It's pretty hard to follow...

"A dream?" I asked, not entirely sure what he meant by that. I mean there's always the possibility he's being literal but that just sounds stupid.

"Literally," He replied, "At this point any time I go to sleep I wind up waking up in that timeline."

"Wow that's... actually weirder than the whole thing with Conan..."

"Yeah I know, at least that one's a viable psychological issue..." He laughed, seeming a bit less serious than I'd seen him at any point so far, "This is just a doomed timeline that somehow managed to keep going... it should no longer exist and yet it's still here and has an effect on the inevitable outcome..."

"So... what does all of this have to do with me?" I wondered aloud. If Shinji was a alternate reality future me from what was perhaps the first timeline, what would have happened without any interference from time travel until the end when Haibara would have come up with her the time machine for the first time... then _was_ there some significance in the fact that I was using the name right now? It all seems so contrived.

"Nothing," He replied without any hesitation, "Ai just thought that maybe because I was using that name for you that it was possible that you were the same as that Shinji, but it's just for convenience that you're using that name. If you were the same Shinji then he would have probably told me about it last night... unless..."

"Unless...?"

"Nevermind... it's nothing... I'm going to go help Ai, you can keep reading or just do whatever..." He said looking slightly concerned though he was hiding it well.

Well that's probably the most obvious question-dodge ever. He's probably right though, I'm probably not the same Shinji as the one that he's been talking to in his weird dream dimension or whatever, if that were the case the I would have definitely let him know that I was coming to this point in time so that he could be ready or something... maybe.

Let's just ignore all of that, it probably doesn't even matter... I'll just get on with the story now.

Haibara's prediction was accurate, of course, it took her and Shiharoku about a week working together (during which I mostly read and every now and then played with Conan) to make a time machine that they were relatively certain would work and not result in the death of anyone who attempted to use it. There was no proof that it would actually work but they seemed pretty confident so I figured it'd be best not to argue.

The 'time machine' itself was an indescribable object, it was nothing like the things you see in all those weird sci-fi movies but at the same time it was exactly like all of them... that probably doesn't help you get any kind of image in your mind but it's the best I can do.

At this point I'm just rambling... anyway it was finally time. Time for me to return to when I belonged, and pretend that none of this had ever happened because Shiharoku thought that if he continued to help me that we'd be playing into the Black Organization's hands -which may have just been paranoia but he seemed serious enough so I guess I can't count on him for help anymore.

I stepped through the doors of the time machine (yes it had doors) and they began to automatically slide closed. With solemn smiles both Haibara and Shiharoku (and probably Conan too) waved at me without a word, there was nothing to say anyway everything that could have been said was already understood between us. I was leaving, they would miss me, but it was better this way... but as I watched them I realized that something was wrong.

Shiharoku wasn't smiling, he was grinning, like he was the Grinch and someone had just told him that Christmas had been canceled forever or something disturbing like that. Then in a moment my eyes met his and somehow I could tell that this wasn't Shiharoku, it was Conan.

In one fluid motion he used his wristwatch to knock out Haibara, grabbed her, and slipped into the time machine with me just before the doors would have completely closed... still smiling through it all.

The doors shut and there was a slight shake.

"Great, we're already moving towards ten years ago," He said, laying Haibara gently on the floor as he moved towards the control panel and pushed a few buttons, "Alright, that should do it..."

That should do what exactly? What is even happening here?

"Conan?! What are you doing?"

"Oh, so you were able to tell it was me? You're more perceptive than I took you for," He said sounding more amused than I would have expected given the situation.

That didn't help, quite frankly I was getting a bit creeped out... Haibara unconscious, Conan was acting weird and he'd just done something to the time machine, and I had no idea where Shiharoku had gone maybe he was being suppressed by Conan or something. This obviously wasn't a good situation, something must've gone wrong but I had no idea what it could have been.

He crouched down in front of me so that we could be face to face, "We'll be hitting some turbulence when we cross timelines, If you stay conscious you'll get timesick."

Before I could even completely register what he'd said he used the same trick that Vermouth had and used my own tranquilizer watch to knock me out, the last thing I saw before I blacked out was his sociopathic smile.

...

I don't know how much time had passed before I woke up.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the edge of the gray trench coat that Shiharoku/Conan was wearing, I pushed myself up from the floor and was able to see the whole of him leaning impatiently int the doorway. I looked around and saw that Haibara was still unconscious, she'd been propped up against the wall of a building just outside the time machine.

"Took you long enough, I was about to just leave without explaining anything..." Conan stated blandly in a bored tone.

I still had no clue what was going on.

"Where we are right now is Gunma, about fifty years ago from the point you belong in the timeline," He said, not bothering to wait for a gasp of realization or surprise he continued, "Sorry if I seemed a bit forceful, not that it really matters, I just needed a lift. You see... there's something I need to do in this time period."

"And what would that be?" I asked, as if it hadn't become completely obvious already. I'd pieced it together but on the off-chance I was wrong I'd asked anyway.

He just rolled his eyes, walking over to the control panel again. He twisted a few knobs before speaking again, "You haven't figured it out yet? Geez, and I thought you were perceptive."

I could feel my brow furrowing, "You're going to found the organization... you were Anokata all along..."

"Bingo!" He smirked, patting me on the head, "I'm the big bad guy. You all fell for my innocent child routine hook, line, and sinker... and now it's too late for you to do anything about it."

It felt so obvious. Why hadn't I noticed before... it was staring me in the face the whole time.

"Anyway... I'm going to return you to your proper timeline, I don't need you running around this time period and getting in my way..." He paused as if contemplating something as he moved back to the doorway, "... I'll give you nine years."

"Eh? Nine years for what?"

"To give up. Stop fighting the organization."

And what will you do if I don't? The question remained unspoken.

He threw the silver cellphone so it pushed the button that would activate the time machine and stepped out of the doorway. On impulse I just about tried to run out after him but with lightning speed he aimed his tranquilizer watch (which apparently had been upgraded to have more than one shot) and shot me with it.

Just before I fell unconscious for the second time within moments I could see him waving as the doors were sliding closed once again.

"See you in fifty-nine and a half years."


	20. Chapter 19

**Next chapter is the end. The Epilogue, the one that connects the last bits... in any case, when I first started writing this story I hadn't actually planned for it to turn out this way but I think it's gone pretty well... what I'm really trying to say here though is that the other story 'It Became Complicated' actually holds more importance in this story than I thought that it was going to. That said if you haven't already then I would suggest that you do after you read the Epilogue because as it would turn out both stories will function as both sequel and prequel...  
**

**Okay so last chapter probably left you all like "WTF" but this chapter mostly exists to explain everything and show all the clues that were probably overlooked, it'll probably leaving you even more shocked than the previous one... as far as this story is concerned just about everything that happened had a reason behind it (and thinking about it now that's actually kind of amazing considering that some of it wasn't initially planned but rather made up after the fact.) It's a short chapter with no dialogue but this is still very important because it'll hopefully clear up all the confusion and possibly make you do a few spit-takes.  
**

** Lots of reviews last time! I'm so happy, no kidding! Many thanks to Roy23-kun, Rainkit-chan, Miko647635-chan, Guest-san, Insanewriter1220-san, and Tiffy-pii who reviewed on the previous chapter *politely bows to show thanks* Please stick with me this time as well. As always I would also like to ask that other people please review~  
**

**So without further ado let's see just how complicated all of this was without you even realizing~**

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**chapter 19. The inevitable reality of tHe truth we facE  
**

Shiharoku had thought he understood, he thought that he'd solved the mystery of who Anokata truly was, and as much as he disliked the conclusion he'd arrived at he'd accepted it anyway, and hopped that with his plan he could at the very least delay what he already knew to be an inevitable event.

However, he had been wrong. But he had come close.

Shiharoku had made a mistake in his reasoning and because of that mistake he'd miscalculated everything and arrived at the wrong conclusion. He -as many of you reading this- had failed to see through the innocent facade that Conan had presented and as a result had likely assumed that his childlike alter ego was the least likely person to have been the foe that he'd faced since the very beginning.

Shiharoku instead had thought that he himself was the person that would undoubtedly become Anokata. He believed that something devastating would happen and he would finally lose his grip on what little remained of his sanity, that he would -in order to make things better- ask Ai to help him make a time machine and he would then go back in time and found the very organization he'd spent lifetimes fighting against with the purpose of finding a way to bring the dead back to life; it wouldn't matter to him if people died in the process, if he ever achieved his goal then they could just be brought back. The end would justify the means.

And in a way he was right. Something would happen and he would finally snap and he would after a series of events travel back in time and ultimately become Anokata. But he was wrong, because the moment when he'd snapped had already passed.

He'd even admitted it himself when he'd explained how the current 'Edogawa Conan' had come into existence, he'd clearly said, 'Edogawa Conan is an alternate personality created by Kudo Shinichi when I was about to reach the breaking point'. In other words Shiharoku had already snapped even if he was still desperately clinging to whatever remained of his sanity the damage had already been done.

If only Shiharoku hadn't been so focused on what he thought was going to happen then perhaps he would have realized that something was wrong, maybe then he would have seen through the deception and realized that the cute and childish persona 'Edogawa Conan' was just a front -a cover hiding Shiharoku's darker side.

Anokata wasn't Shiharoku, but rather the one we called Conan. Though plenty of clues present themselves we probably would have never known had he not personally deemed it fit to revel his true demeanor himself.

The signs had been there and yet everyone had missed them, in retrospect it all seems so obvious -as most things do. I should have noticed much sooner but the prospect hadn't even crossed my mind; looking back on it I can't help but think 'if I'd noticed I could have done something' but deep down I know that even if I had realized the truth all of this was inevitable, the great conspiracy of the universe had doomed us all from the start, carefully contriving everything so that this was the only way that things could happen.

His only mistake is proof of his greatest asset: he was _too_ smart.

We failed to notice because Conan was _supposed_ to be a smart kid, but he was beyond smart, he was a genius. He hid it well, pretending he didn't understand how the time-phone-thing (which I suppose is call a chrono-phone as that's what Ai had called it) worked, by reading children's manga, and calling everyone by the most childish names that he could think of... but every now and then he would slip up and do something smart, he couldn't stand to act stupid all the time so he would occasionally play chess a bit too well or give someone advice that was a bit too perfect.

Even so his disguise was infallible, in itself it made far to much sense that if Kudo Shinichi gained an alternate personality that it would be Edogawa Conan. I can't deny the possibility that is truly what had happened and that he was later corrupted by something that made him as he is now, but upon further thinking I'd realized that if his personality had split because of the stress that had come from leaping across time and the split was supposed to be taking that stress off of Shiharoku then it made no sense for his alternate persona to be a child, if anything that would probably cause him more stress than it would relieve.

If that reasoning is correct then that would mean the true identity of the one we'd called Conan was all of the built up stress that Shiharoku had collected in the thousands of years he'd spent leaping through time, all his desperation to reach a goal he had began to learn might just be impossible to reach. That being the case it's no wonder that everything happened as it did.

Assuming that Conan is able to completely suppress Shiharoku and has access to his memories that would mean that by becoming Anokata and founding the Black Organization fifty years ago he's placed himself at the beginning and already knows the end. He's starting from the point that all the timelines that Shiharoku had witnessed would have inevitably diverged from and with his fore-knowledge he sees across time and is able to make the things he knows will happen as a result of his actions happen.

Conan/Anokata would have known all our moves ahead of time while we didn't even know who we were up against. He knew that by having Gin carry Apotoxin4869 that day that he was insuring that Kudo Shinichi would become Edogawa Conan. He knew that by issuing the orders for Miyano Akemi to be killed that Miyano Shiho would take Apotoxin4869 herself and assume the identity of Haibara Ai. But more than anything he knew that those two events had to occur in order for he himself to come into existence so that he could work to fulfill his goal, they had to happen otherwise they couldn't have happened and he wouldn't exist to have made them happen and the same can be said for just about everything else.

It was all futile, in a sense he was just toying with us all along. When I first realized all of this I had hoped that perhaps by cutting off contact with my timeline -thereby arranging it so that Conan/Anokata wouldn't know our actions in that timeline ahead of time as he had with the others- Shiharoku had managed to take away Conan's advantage, however, I was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Just like all the others my timeline also had a predetermined end which Conan was aware of. How he knew when even Shiharoku hadn't realized it himself is beyond me, but somehow -whether it was thanks to the entire universe conspiring against us or if Conan was simply even more of a genius than I've already given him credit for being- he knew exactly which timeline mine was and what was going to happen. Though he knew just the end, there would be various points throughout the middle where it would seem that my comrades and I actually had a chance at winning though still leading to the ultimate conclusion resulting in his victory, and that was precisely why he gave me nine years after returning to my timeline before he actually showed himself again.

But I'll explain more of that bit later.

For the time being I think it'd be better to explain why he'd taken Haibara with him. There was only one driving reason behind it, such an simple reason, but it became something really important.

That all important reason is: he liked her. I'm not sure if it was that Shiharoku had started to like Haibara as she helped him across so many timelines when Ran couldn't and perhaps those feelings had been pushed aside along with the stress and desperation or if it was purely Conan's own feelings of affection, but either way he had feelings for her and had decided to take her with him when she went to found the Black Organization.

This too was something that had to have happened though it wasn't immediately apparent.

She who had also taken apotoxin, felt guilty that what she had helped to create had in essence caused this entire situation and because of her guilt she had no choice but to join the organization as he founded it and to stay by his side in hopes that some day she could at least help to put things right. She became the very person that she had feared, Anokata's favorite, an actress with a hidden agenda - Vermouth. She made improvements on the time machine and used it to help in any way that she could while also doing whatever it Anokata asked of her as Vermouth without.

He must've realized that she wasn't completely on his side, he no doubt kept her from interfering with the creation of Apotoxin4869 which would have been her best bet in preventing all of this from ever occurring because as previously stated if Kudo Shinichi and Miyano Shiho had never been given apotoxin then the vast majority of this would have never been able to become a problem.

So it would seem I've come full circle... and that's exactly what this is, a circle. Certain things must happen in order for certain other things to have happened, and so because the other thing happened we know without a doubt that the first thing must happen or have already happened otherwise there would be a paradox, and inconsistency, a flaw, a contradiction.

We're trapped in an endless cycle with no choice but to keep repeating the same fundamental actions without realizing that there's been any repetition at all until we reach the end of one the cycle when it is just about to start over once again.

That is the point that I have reached now, it shouldn't be much longer now until I'm faced with a decision to either carry on thus ending the cycle or go back in time and set the course of events in motion again even though I am trying to stop them, I know that it would be better to just move forward in my own time... but I fear that when the time comes I will have reason to choose the latter instead.

If I do make that choice then I'm sorry that I've forced us all to go through that again, I'm truly sorry, but that's probably the decision that I will have to make. Even if it is in essence a decision it -like so much else- was no doubt arranged so that there would be absolutely no chance of me ever picking to continue on...

That's why I'm writing_ this._

A chronicle of what I have witnessed, I used the chrono-phone (which you may recall Conan had thrown to activate the time machine and it would have thereby come into my possession) to send these words back in time to a phone number which I selected at random with instructions to put this story of mine somewhere that it would be noticed. I've typed all of this out (in English no less!) in hopes that someone who reads it may have a chance to help me break out of this loop.

I have no idea who could be reading this, I'm not entirely sure what you're capable of, and I'm not even sure that you are taking any of this seriously. Whether you be complete strangers or even myself or someone close to me in the timeline that this has reached it doesn't change the fact that I'm asking you for help.

Perhaps none of this is a problem in your timeline... if that is the case then I may have already succeeded in breaking the cycle myself, or more likely whatever force had made all of this inevitable to begin with also arranged that this SOS of mine wouldn't reach anyone that could have had any chance of helping me, in whichever case please forgive me if you feel that I've wasted your time.

There's only a little more that I can say before you will have been brought completely up to current and there will be no more that I can tell you. I'll have reached the final chapter of my life so to speak. I know that once I've finished writing this I'll have to make my choice.

So... I'm sorry. But, I hope you'll understand.


	21. Epilouge

**Well it's the end (though the chapter title begs to differ), and I'm sorry. This chapter wound up being ridiculously long (with lots of drawn out speech, explanations, and situational analysis) which I guess is good... but I kind of hate to say goodbye to this story, it is -in my opinion- the best story I've written so far so I'm sad to see it ending but if I continued it any further it would become very stupid.  
**

**I'm not entirely happy with how this chapter/epilogue turned out, it feels kinda forced but in the end I just went with it cause I couldn't think of a way to make it any smoother. Sorry. And while I'm apologizing I may as well say this chapter has a lot of holes in it, mostly because it really only exists to complete the loop that I've already established and rationalize this story not as an AU story but simply a different timeline than the original DC, I mentioned it last chapter but you'll really need to read It Became Complicated if you want to fully understand what's going on, and in turn what happened.  
**

**Sorry to anyone who was actually waiting for my amateur writing~ I have no legit excuse for taking so long. I was reading manga, and watching anime, studying for exams, and being more social than I've probably been in months... and then the holidays came by... so yeah that's my excuse, I don't actually care whether or not you believe it... I'll put the usual thanks and such at the end this time so please stick around for it.  
**

* * *

**Epilogue. this caN't be the enD.  
**

Alongside my allies I continued to face the Black Organization... that is to say we continued to fight against Conan, though I had never told anyone the truth about what I'd witnessed when I'd gone into the future, and maybe I should have but that can no longer be helped. Telling them what I had seen would have likely not changed what was already bound to happen anyway.

In any case as the years went by and I slowly came to realize many the things that I mentioned in the chapter prior to this one I grew to dread the my inevitable encounter with Anokata/Conan that was set to occur precisely nine years after I returned to my timeline. Knowing that the entire time he'd basically been toying with me as he waited for the day to come when he would reveal himself to me once again, I was able to see that I truly stood no chance against him, however that didn't mean I had no intention of trying to face him anyway.

As the nine year mark approached I thought that I would be sufficiently prepared for our meeting, I wasn't -of course- but at the time I'm thought highly enough of myself to believe that I knew what was going to happen, because at that point I hadn't yet realized that we were stuck in the midst of a stable loop in time so I suspected that he would ask for me to join him to take over the world together or something stupid, evil, and cliqued like that.

I suppose it's not really that relevant what I thought was going to happen, the difference between what I'd mistakenly imagined and what reality had in store for me was great enough that by bothering to mention my false scenario is more or less a complete waste of your time. At this point it'd probably be best if I explain what has truly happened...

It had been ten days before that I was captured by the Black Organization, to anyone else it would have appeared that they'd finally discovered my true identity as Kudo Shinichi rather than Edogawa Conan, but knowing -as I did- the truth of who stood behind the organization I understood that this was his way of saying that my time was up. Though I suppose saying I was 'captured' implies different circumstances than what I was cast into, it gives more of a sense that I was meant to be a 'prisoner' but from the ten days I'd already gone through at that point it was already apparent my role was more that of a lab rat.

They had gotten Ai as well and were using pretty much everyone that we cared for or at the very least had regular contact with as hostages to force her to complete Apotoxin4869 as well as an antidote to it's shrinking side effect, I was to be her human test subject in that regard... which I suppose doesn't change much. The greatest change to my life had been the general isolation and the extremely poor living conditions... but there's no need for me to explain any of that.

The point is Conan (... Anokata... I'm not even entirely sure what I should really call him at this point) came to visit me.

I'd been sleeping when he came, it was his knocking on the door that'd woken me up. I'm not sure why he knocked, the door was always locked so it's not as if I could have let him in, it would have made much more sense for him to have just barged in considering he obviously would have had a key. Regardless for me the fact that there had been a knock had been unsettling. The only person who'd ever came in was Ai and she was -for all practical purposes- just as much trapped as I was so she never wasted the little time we were allowed together knocking, so I knew it wasn't her.

I made no attempt to answer the knock. Soon the door swung open and I was faced with Conan, his physical appearance had changed a bit over the previous fifty-nine years bit it was all too easy for me to recognize him.

Honestly the moment that I had understood that whenever I met Conan again nearly sixty years would have passed for him I mentally prepared myself to see my own appearance as an old man, I can't say I was disappointed in the slightest to see that he'd aged quite gracefully -or rather, not at all. The only thing about him that seemed to show any signs that he was not a normal teenager was his long silver-gray hair, he'd tied it back it a fairly traditional looking low ponytail,which with the plain black suit he was wearing sufficed to make him look as though he was some kind of prodigal mafia boss. His bangs hung limply in front of his eyes making it impossible for me to see any of his expression besides the self-same smile that he'd worn the last time I'd seen him.

I made the completely reasonable assumption that Apotoxin 4869 had (at least in his timeline) granted some form of pseudo-eternal youth. It wasn't exactly perfect considering his hair still proved that he'd aged, and there was such a low chance of anyone who took apotoxin actually shrinking. Even so there were plenty of questions that I couldn't be bothered to ask regarding how he'd explained his failure to age to the rest of the world. I wonder if the apotoxin from my timeline will have the same effect... I wonder if I'll ever be old enough to know.

He was the one who spoke up first.

"I gave you nine years, as promised, and still you refused to give up," he stated, his voice had a strange tone to it, kind of youthful yet wistful at the same time.

I didn't even have to think before replying, "Of course not. Even if you're basically me, I can't leave the organization alone."

"I knew that would be the case," He sighed, seeming almost disappointed, "Your sense of justice is way too strong."

Isn't this a bit too casual for a meeting between the leader of a powerful criminal organization and one of the people fighting against it? In this kind of situation normally it'd be way more tense... right? Ugh, I don't even know anymore, this guy seems to get his enjoyment by taking a sledge hammer to the metaphorical wall between logic and chaos...

I must have taken too long to reply, though I'm not sure how I was meant to, he simply continued, "Even knowing you were doomed from the get-go you continued to fight me and by doing so have cornered yourself. If you had given up then this could have all ended peacefully."

That's a lie and we both know it. He'd given me nine years knowing full well that I had no intention of giving up fighting the organization, given the circumstances there's no way this could have ever truly ended peacefully. I told him as much.

"Even so I gave you a choice and you chose, it was as a result of your decision that the current situation has arisen," He replied calmly, his tone turning darker with the next line, "and you are equally to blame for what comes next."

A weak shiver had run up my spine as he'd said that, as if implying that he knew exactly what dark future awaited me and I didn't doubt for a moment that that was the truth. The situation was already grim and he had the power to do pretty much whatever he wanted to make it better or worse for me, worse being far more likely between the two.

Of course there was no way I was ever going to let him know that I was even the slightest bit afraid of what it was he might think would come next. I stood my ground, "Your choices are yours my choices are mine, I'll take responsibility for my actions if you do the same."

I narrowed my eyes at him as he smiled as though he'd predicted I would say that exact line, "In your current situation there is no hope for you... you won't last much longer as you currently are..."

That statement doesn't really make any sense, weren't we just talking about taking responsibility for our own actions? What is he talking about? Is he telling me that I'm going to die or be killed soon... or perhaps he meant something else entirely as he'd used rather cryptic wording. I wonder how long 'not much longer' is for him these days anyway, for all I know ten years could be a short period of time as he sees it but then how long it is doesn't really matter all that much does it?

"I haven't done anything I regret."

"Hmmm?" for just a moment he seemed to be honestly confused by my statement, "Then would you say that even if you could go back in time that there's nothing you would change?"

His question came completely out of the left field, leaving me somewhat surprised. Was there anything I would want to change? Of course there were things I'd like to change. It's normal for a person to wish that they'd done certain things different ways when they look back on their own past and mine is likely more grim than most.

However I doubt that there's much that could be changed even if the option of time travel presented itself to me, I had already realized that most of what had happened was predetermined, there wasn't much that could really be done.

"Even if you ask that... my current situation is a bit hopeless, you said so yourself," I muttered in response, not entirely sure what kind of answer he would have been hoping for, "Even if a chance to travel back in time were to present itself to me I'm not even sure what could be done to fix any of this."

What's the point of this conversation anyway? Is he trying to make me feel bad, or maybe the conversation thus far doesn't matter so much and he's just stalling before bringing up a more pressing topic... either way I was beginning to grow tired of this idle chatter.

He paused for a moment, "Even though the answer has already been presented to you?"

In an instant my mind raced, I tried to think through everything that had happened to me thus far. What 'answer' was he talking about, what was it that I was missing? I wanted to know.

But even so if the question was what I should change if I were given the chance to time travel then I couldn't actually think of many events significant enough that I believed they would make much of a difference. It wouldn't really matter all that much even if I were to change the past because it wouldn't affect me personally, it would just diverge and all effects would go to a Shinichi in another timeline... which really makes it a kind of a hollow victory, not to mention there could be interference from different timelines at any point so there would be no garuntee that it would remain peaceful even if I were able to temporarily fix things.

It began to become apparent that he was waiting for me to give a reply of some sort before telling me any more, so I asked, "And what 'answer' would that be?"

"I don't think that's really for me to say..." he trailed off.

Then after a long pause he sat down next to me on my bed and spoke up with a sigh, "Right now we're in the middle of a loop, a certain set of events keep reoccurring and because they keep happening they'll continue to keep happening. If nothing is done then it'll probably never change..."

Wait... what's with this random off topic comment? Why can't this conversation just stay coherent? No, more importantly... the person talking now is...

"Shiharoku?"

"Ah, right. Sorry for not saying so right away, I'm not really sure how long I'll be able to stick around..." He confirmed, without missing a beat he continued, "In any case, there's just one chance for us to break free of the loop, but it's risky."

I reasoned that if we were in a loop then an action I had yet to take was going to result in whatever it was that had started Shiharoku's leaping through time in the first place... so it was pretty much already decided that I was going to have to go back in time at some point wasn't it? Unless the chance to break out of the loop is if I don't go back in time, or perhaps... if I were to die. It was quite a while back but Vermouth had said that if I were killed then the organization wouldn't be able to exist.

Ever since I'd figured out the truth about who Anokata really was I'd just assumed that she meant that if I was killed before I wound up going to the future that one time that there wouldn't ever be any reason for there to be a time machine and he'd never get the chance to go back in time and found the organization... but if all of this is a loop then that changes everything. What Vermouth had said may still apply. If I'm going go back in time to do something that accidentally leads to Shiharoku's time jumping and eventual mental breakdown creating Conan/Anokata then if I died right here and now before getting the chance to do that then it won't happen.

At least that would make the most sense, but there's no real risk in that. Shiharoku just said that there's only one chance and that it was risky, he should have a better understanding of the situation and he's probably had more than enough time to think this through so I must be missing something here.

"Risky in what way?" I asked in attempt to gain a better understanding of the situation, "If it's our only chance I'm willing to try it but, what exactly is it we're talking about here?"

"I want you to kill me."

I didn't understand. No, to say I didn't understand is an understatement; I was completely baffled. Why on Earth would he want me to kill him?! Even if I did such a thing how would that suffice to do anything to help this situation? Stop thinking about it, there's nothing, it wouldn't help at all!

The Black Organization has already been around for sixty years now so I'd hardly achieve anything from killing it's leader now, at least nothing in way of preventing it's existence. I guess best case scenario without Conan/Anokata the organization wouldn't be able to operate and would just dissolve... but if Conan is as smart as I think he is then he's probably got someone in line to take his place if anything happens to him.

Having apparently read my line of though Shiharoku extrapolated, "Not right now, about one year after I shrank. It was at that point in time that I first met you, I want you to go back in time to that point and kill me."

"Er... what?" Was all I could manage to say. I wasn't even sure what I really wanted to ask...

"It took me a while to understand but you're the Shinji that I know from my original timeline and the doomed timeline we made together. There's plenty of evidence to support this fact but none of that is really important the point is, back in the beginning he never told me exactly what it was he was trying to prevent he'd only told me a tiny sliver of what the true scenario must have been and he'd never said what it was he was supposed to do to fix it, and now I understand why, it's because he'd been sent back with the purpose of killing me," He stated blandly, sounding almost bitter.

Then again I guess I'd be a bit bitter too if I were telling someone that they had to go back in time and kill me so I wouldn't be able to exist. Even so he's the one who's telling me to do this, I'd feel more like it was the right thing to do if he didn't seem to hate the very fact that he was even suggesting it.

"At your current age it'll be fine if you go back to being Kudo Shinichi even if apotoxin hasn't been cured, you can just return to a normal life (in the event that you don't wind up disappearing). Just stab me as painlessly as possible and leave the knife behind, evidence won't matter, your finger prints and DNA are the same as mine so even if your prints are on the knife or some of your hair falls on the carpet it'll still look like suicide. Haibara and Hakase might think your suspicious for a while but you'll just need to prove that you're from the future and they should eventually come to accept you..."

As he paused again I took the opportunity to ask what I'd been wondering, "Wouldn't it work just as well if I just don't go to the past or maybe if I were to die?"

"There's no guarantee that anything would be avoided if you didn't go back in time, but there's no point in ever dwelling on that as a possibility because you will -without a doubt- go back in time to the point I mentioned, because it's one of the conditions necessary for Conan's existence; you go back in time to when I will meet you for the first time and because of what I learn in that timeline with you I wind up transmitting my memory back timeline after timeline, and eventually Conan come into existence. He's taken great measure to ensure that he will exist, so if you were to die for whatever reason before going back in time he'd be very angry and he'd probably take his rage out on Ran and everyone else you care about, it would change the sequence of events at the cost of everything you care about in this timeline." He said, I got the sense that he was ashamed that it was his own alternate self that was responsible for all of as he continued, "And if you were to die or kill yourself after you go back in time then not only would it appear to the world that Kudo Shinichi had died, it would probably lead to the same result of me leaping across time. So the only way is for me to die, I have to be the sacrifice in order to break out of this accursed loop."

Was there really no other way? I racked my brain, just trying to find an answer, anything that Shiharoku may have overlooked, any possibility of there being a different outcome, any kind of hope within reach, but nothing came to me as I desperately grasped at every possible outcome I could think of in that moment. It seemed that no matter what I did there was still to high of a chance that nothing would change.

That is... unless I killed Shiharoku before he became the way he is now. That was the single chance to change fate that was presented. Our one last hope.

If I couldn't bring myself to kill him then we would come full circle once again, and I would inevitably come to find myself in this same position again without any memory of it having passed who-knows-how-many times before. I'd probably regret not having been able to change it, but I would justify it by saying that no matter what rationalization there is it isn't right to kill someone... and because of that we'd probably never break free.

And that's what made this plan risky, it was obviously a gamble between Shiharoku and Conan. Since it was already inevitable that I would wind up going to the past the only two courses of action available were to either kill Shiharoku in the past or to not kill him; if I killed him then I'd have broken the loop, but if I don't then I'll wind up doing exactly what Conan wants by insuring that the loop continues and likewise that he exists. On one hand I become a murderer, but on the other my actions will lead to the forming of the very organization I've been trying so hard to fight... and there is no other conceivable way to get out of this.

In any case it was hopeless, neither answer could be considered right or wrong...

There was just one question that had been bugging me as I'd continued to think about the exact nature our the loop we were supposedly stuck in, "It doesn't make sense though... if 'Shinji' is me then why didn't I tell you about what was going to happen? If I did then you could have changed everything right?"

"You're right if Shinji had told me, then things might have been different, but if he'd told me everything right away then I'd have pushed him to tell me what he was going to do to change it, and there's no way you'd tell me that I sent you to kill me... or maybe he just didn't want to tell me my future because he knew it would fill me with the same sense of hopelessness that you're feeling right now," He reasoned, his tone growing sorrowful with each phrase, "and then because he intended to change the future he forgot nearly everything that was supposed to happen after the time he'd met me."

I can't say I entirely understood that. I was going to lose my memory because I wanted to change the future? Does that mean that if I didn't want to change it I would be able to remember what was going to happen? That sounds terribly inconvenient.

That's the only possible outcome that wouldn't require killing past-Shiharoku... if I could retain my memories then I could do better to advise him as to what would happen and he could break us out of the cycle... but if I intended to change the past then I would -for whatever incomprehensible reason- be unable to remember and therefore unable to do anything against the loop. So ultimately it's true, the only possible garuntee we have of breaking out of the loop is to just kill past-Shiharoku.

I gulped, "If I break the loop, if I really kill your past self... what will happen after that?"

We were trying so hard to break free of this endless cycle but what exactly is waiting for us beyond it? What exactly is it that we're trying so desperately to reach. I wanted to know. No, I _needed_ to know.

"I don't know."

There was a long pause.

"I can't be sure what will happen if we can get out of all of this..." He answered me somberly, "For any one event in this loop to exist all the others must also exist, by going against it at any point it is made so that none of it could have ever happened in the first place, but for such an action as you killing me to happen then this conversation must take place... so maybe the world will spin off into a timeline that continued the loop and one in which none of the events had happened."

In that case this is almost completely pointless. If breaking the loop only triggers a timeline that will continue past the loop which will continue despite it's fracture... that's like condemning my own self to unhappiness so that another me has a chance at obtaining normal happiness.

"Although it's not unthinkable that all of this will simply be accepted as something that never happened. I never leaped across timelines, I never sent messages to the past, Conan never became Anokata, Kudo Shinichi was never poisoned, you never went back in time, and you never gave me the idea that time travel might be able to solve my problems. Everything as we currently know it would be nil, all our current efforts and struggles would be unknown to anyone because they would have never happened... sounds rather grim thinking about it, but that's actually the best case scenario for us," He paused for a while as if realizing just how odd it was that was the best case scenario, he smiled a bit but it was so faint it could hardly be considered to actually be a smile, "I think it'd be better if doesn't exist... I mean you're perfectly free to prefer the other way, it won't really make any difference as we don't know what will happen."

I really wasn't sure which one I'd be happier with, both possibilities completely sucked as far as I could see... but I suppose either would be better than just continuing to repeat the same stupid thing over and over.

Suddenly his faint smile disappeared, "Wow if I leave him alone he'll just talk forever won't he, still he's managed to tell you why you'll need to go back in time."

I couldn't help but frown a bit myself when I realized that Shiharoku had suddenly switched back to being Conan/Anokata, sure there probably wasn't much else for me to Shiharoku or rather much for him to say to me but it was still rather disheartening seeing the fact that Shiharoku -who was still in essence a form of me- had more or less been forced to become the recessive persona under the weight of Conan's domination. Perhaps the sheer fact that after all this time Shiharoku was the one losing to Conan was supposed to be a sort of grim omen that Shiharoku and I truly were always destined to ultimately lose to Conan and be forced preform the actions that would cause the cycle that would in turn create the situation leading to Conan's victory and our endless defeat... I honestly hoped that I was just reading way to much into that.

I swear I could almost feel a glare through his overlong bangs as he must have assumed that I wasn't going to say anything about his sudden return, the thought that I may have ticked him off -even if just a tiny bit- was enough to make all evidence of the frown his appearance had caused to disappear.

"It won't work you know... his plan to have you kill him and change the past, it won't work."

His statement stopped my train of thought completely.

What did he mean? There was still the issue of the paradox which was pretty much unpredictable, but if I killed past-Shiharoku then Conan would never exist and therefore couldn't found the organization, and I wouldn't be poisoned so in a weird alternate timeline I'd get to live my somewhat normal life as Shinichi. It was a fairly straightforward plan, why would it not work. I mean even if the timeline goes on after I kill him I would be there filling the role of 'Shinichi' in that timeline afterwards so I don't think that there's any real potential for screw up assuming I could actually kill past-Shiharoku.

I said as much to Conan.

He gave a slightly evil sounding laugh as if to say 'you really don't get it do you?' then smirked as he explained, "Even if it wasn't me, someone else would have been 'Anokata', I'm not saying that there's more than one Anokata because for this timeline at least Anokata has always been me and me alone, I'm saying that the organization is something that always would have existed."

I didn't understand. If there had ever been another person with the determination and goal to have possibly become Anokata then why would they have not made an organization anyway even if an organization similar to what they had in mind already existed? Unless that person doesn't exist in this timeline or was offered a better lot in life this time around... or maybe, just maybe, they were here and just as evil. Maybe that Person existed and had seen that there was already an organization like the one he'd wanted to create so he just manipulated everything from the shadows, orchestrating everything while remaining completely unnoticed on the surface. That was definitely a disturbing thought.

"I guess it doesn't really matter though, you'd have to be a fool to actually try to kill your past self even in a different timeline, especially if you aren't sure what is going to happen as a result, " He stated coldly.

Was this his attempt to convince me not to kill past-Shiharoku? I'd have expected him to at least do better than that... I mean sure I was already a bit unsure as to whether or not it was really okay for me to just go back in time and kill him but what Conan was saying really made no difference at all.

He seemed to realize as much, he sighed "Whatever..."

At that point he left, I guess he either ran out of stuff to say or my indifference to what he was saying annoyed him. Is it bad that I sort of hope it was the latter because at least then I know I'm inconveniencing him, but I guess it's possible that if he had more to say he might've said something helpful. I can't be sure so there's really no point in dwelling on it now.

And with that you've been brought about up to current. It's been a while since that conversation. Months have pasted since then, it's probably almost been a year by now it's hard for me to tell.

I don't know what will happen when I go back in time but it's going to happen soon, I might have weeks, or maybe days left until I have to go.

At that point I'll no longer be able to send anything else back as I have been, this is probably the last you'll ever hear from me. I'm sorry that you'll never be able to know the true conclusion of this overly complex adventure of mine, as much as I hate to admit it I guess this is the end.

Goodbye.

- _Kudo Shinichi_

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**THANK YOU FOR READING!**

**There will be no more to this story after this unless I get really bored so I wanna thank everyone who's read so far *takes in a deep breath*  
**

**Thanks to: Guest-san, Alyssa-san, guest-kun, Rainkit-chan, jackjiahe-chan, Syrus07-chan (Dokun), blaziebla-kun, starshinesoldier-san, Reader-san, DetectiveLion-kun, AWhimsicalLaugh-san, Tiffy-pii, miko647635-chan, haibaraai4869-chan, manga-fan-99-san, detective4869conan-san, flyer1228-san, roy23-kun, Guest-chan, insanewritter1220-san, Puto-kun, Alex Elvan-kun, Cased In Darkness-sempai, Partsu-san, and everyone who read but didn't review. THANK YOU SO MUCH EVEN THOUT NO ONE IS GOING TO READ ALL THOSE NAMES!  
**

**Now then I guess I'd better get to work on my other stories... so see ya later I guess!  
**


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